/ 



/Iftonep 



VI ' ♦♦ ♦ 



♦ ♦ 

♦ ♦ 



Squabs 



BY 



J. C. LONG and G. M- BRINTON. 



PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED. 



WASHINGTON, D. C, 

GEORGE E. HOWARD & CO., 

PUBLISHERS. 



C ' ^. 



COPYRIGHTED AND PRINTED 



GEORGE E. HOWARD & CO 
Washing-ton, D. C. 



\.-" 



^v/LiVLU* 



'b'^VV-V^j 



CONTENTS. 



Part i — J. C. Long. 

Introductory ..... 

Breeding- Houses .... 
Breeding Stock ..... 
Distinguishing Sex 
Food and Feeding .... 

Water 

Salt 

Nesting Material .... 

Manure ...... 

Breeding and Management . 

Dressing Squabs for Market 

Shipping and Selling 

Diseases of Pigeons 

Canker 

Cholera . 

^gg Bound 

Enteritis 

Going Light 

Roup 

Small Pox 

Sudden Colds 

Wing Disease . 

Worms 

Douglass Mixture 

Part ii.— G. H. Brixton 



Introductory 

Breeding Houses 

Buying- Stock 

Best Varieties to Breed 

Food and Feeding 

Salt .... 

Breeding and Management 

Dressing Squabs for Market 

Shipping and Selling . 



7 

10 
25 
31 
33 
37 
39 
40 
43 
45 
51 
55 
58 
58 
59 
59 
60 
60 
61 
61 
62 
62 
63 
63 

64 
65 

72 
73 
74 
78 
79 
82 
83 



National Message Holder for Homing Pigeons 



86 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Fig. 1. Aviary on Barn . . . . .11 
Fig. 2. Aviary on Roof of House ... 12 
Fig. 3. House for Fifty Pairs of Pigeons . 13 

Fig. 4. Ground Plan of House for 400 Birds . 14 
Fig. 5. Perspective View of House for 400 Birds 15 
Group of Homers ....... 17 

Fig. 6. Double House 20 

Fig. 7. House Suitable for Small Yard . 21 

Fig, 8. Arrangement of Nest Boxes . . .22 
Fig. tJ. Plan of Completed Nest ... 22 
Fig. 10. Arrangement of Perches . . .23 

Fig. 11. Plan of Perch 24 

Blue Check Homer ....... 29 

Fig. 12. Mating Pen 32 

Fig. 13. Covered Feed Box . . . . .34 
Fig. 14. Feed Hopper ..... 34 

Fig. 15. Grit Box 36 

Fig. 16. Drinking Fountain .... 37 
Fig. 17. Drinking Fountain . . . .37 

Fig. 18. Wire Covered Drinking Pan . . 38 
Fig. 19. Bathing Tub . . . . . .38 

Fig. 20. Bathing Tub 39 

White Homers ........ 41 

Peeper, One Day Old ...... 46 

Squeakers, Ten Days Old . . . . .47 

Squealers, Three Weeks Old .... 48 

Pair Blue Runts 53 

White Duchesse ....... 67 

Pair Blue Dragoons ....... 75 



NATIONAL MESSAGE HOLDER FOR HOMING PIGEONS. 



Fig. 1. The Holder 86 

Fig. 2, Showing Holder Attached to Bird's Leg 87 
Bird With Holder, Readv for Flight ... 88 



Part I. 
INTRODUCTORY. 



/^^^HE gastronomic qualities of the young- of the 
£ \ genus Cohimba have long been known and 
^^J^ recognized, but their scarcity and consequent 
high price have always prevented their being 
plentiful, and a common article of food. Of late years 
attention has been directed to raising them in large 
quantities, but the lack of knowledge as to how to 
proceed has deterred mau}^ from attempting the ex- 
periment, and turning their attention in this direction. 
It is for the purpose of aiding and enlightening such 
novices that this work has lieen prejiared. 

As an adjunct to the raising of poultry, small fruits, 
market gardening and general farming, this in- 
dustr}^ offers great inducements, as the percentage of 
profit for the amount of capital invested is large, de- 
pending, of course, much on the amount of attention 
given to it, and the adaptalulity for the work of the 
one having it in charge. Hundreds have attempted it 
and met with disappointment, simply from the fact 
that the}' had nothing to guide and encourage them in 
the wa}' of written experience. It should be com- 
menced by the inexperienced in a small way until 
thoroughly' understood, when they can branch out to 
an almost unlimited extent. But one should under- 
stand before beginning, that it is a business that needs 
constant attention, and not one that will take care of 



8 

itself. The breeder and his birds must know each 
other, and, as far as such a thing is possible, be in perfect 
harmony. 

He must watch his matings to see if the)' agree, and 
are both attentive to their duties, to see if they are 
prolific, good feeders and nurses, and true to one an- 
other. If there is a lack of attention to one another 
and a seeming preference for other mates, such pairs 
should be separated and remated with those of their 
choice. If certain pairs prove to be bad feeders and 
nurses, they should be discarded and replaced by 
others ; for it is all important that 5'our stock should be 
made up of careful and attentive feeders, as it is only 
from such parents that 3'ou can expect quick growth 
and maturity, a feature most desirable in commercial 
squab raising. 

It will take time to regulate and establish a satis - 
factor}' breeding stud, but in this time 3'ou are learning 
the principles necessary to success and which will 
eventually enable 3'OU to come out a winner. Do not 
let first disappointments discourage 5'ou, but keep per- 
sistently at it, stud3'ing j'our birds, and learning 
lessons from 3'our failures. I would advise beginning 
with ten or twelve pairs and practicing with them 
until 5'ou understand the work and then increase your 
numbers graduall}^ In this way j-ou do not over- 
burden yourself with care, and gradually' grow into the 
business. Commencing in this small way you can 
easilj' give it up if 5'ou find the work distasteful to 3'OU, 
and, on the other hand, if agreeable it is eas)' to in- 
crease 3'Our stock and enlarge your accommodations. 

Too man}' court failure by branching out too ex- 
tensively at first, before they have had anj^ experience 
and hav^ learned what it is necessarj' to know to be 



successful. The hints contained in this book are such 
as hav^e been suggested by long experience in this line 
of work, and any one carefuU}^ following them will b? 
at least fairly successful in breeding squabs for market 
or private use. 

The numerous illustrations which have been intro- 
duced in this edition will be invaluable to the novice 
and of much assistance even to the experienced breeder. 
It has been the aim in preparing this manual to make 
it a complete illustrated guide and it is believed that 
none who study the various chapters with care can fail 
to achieve success in practical pigeon culture. 

J. C. Long. 



Kit \U 



BREEDING HOUSES. 



X makincr preparations for squab raising, the 
first and one of the most important consider- 
ations is the location of the breeding establish- 
ment. This should be so situated as to be 
warm in Winter and not excessivelj- hot in Summer, 
and above all things where it will be free from damp- 
ness. For this reason a southern exposure is the 
best, and if sheltered from the north and west winds, 
which are those most to be dreaded in the Winter, so 
much the better. 

An expensive structure is not a necessity-, although if 
an entire new building is constructed a certain amount 
of attention should be given to neatness of appearance, a 
feature that will not be regretted when finished and 
ready for ocoupanc}'. 

Many may not want to go to the expense of erecting 
a building purposely for breeding, and having barn 
room ma}- prefer to partition off a portion for the purpose. 
This can readily be done, although if on an upper floor, 
entails a greater amount of work in caring for the birds 
than if nearer the ground. If the upper floor of a barn 
be used, an aviarj^ or flight should be constructed, as 
shown in Fig. 1 . This flight is essential for keeping the 
birds healthy and giving them outdoor exercise and 
fresh air. Such a flight is inexpensive to build, being 
made of a light framework and covered with one-inch 



11 




FIG. 1. 



mesh wire. Fig. 2, shows an excellent plan for con- 
structing an aviarj' on the roof of a house, when 
pigeons are kept in an upper or garret room. If the 
ground floor be used the southern exposure should be 
selected, the apartment well provided with light, and 
made, as far as possible, rat and mice -proof. This can 
be done by making all joints tight, b}- tinning around 
the lower portion of the partitions and either making 
a concrete floor or filling in between the joists on 
which the floor is laid, with gravel, slag, or cinders. 
Rats cannot work in such material and keep away. 
Partitions should be made either of tongued and 
grooved boards well seasoned, or twelve -inch boards 
well battened and seasoned. This prevents draughts 
and aids in keeping the room warm in Winter, a con- 
dition much to be desired if squabs are to be raised at 



12 




FIG. 2. 



that season , which 
is the time when 
they are dearest 
and consequently 
bring the best 
prices. If it is 
necessary to erect 
a building let the 
sills be laid near 
the ground on 

flat stones and then fill in between t,he sleepers, as I 
have before described, either with cinders, slag, or 
gravel. If not possible to procure these, then raise it 
about a foot from the ground, on posts or stone piers, 
which will allow of space for a cat to move around in 
and keep the rats away. By boarding up on the sides 
in Winter and banking with sawdust or turf, leaving a 
small opening at one end for the cat, it will be warm 
and dry. For such a building use hemlock or spruce 
joist, and good seasoned pine lumber tongued and 
grooved, or with straight edges so that it can be 
battened. Boards should be sixteen feet long and one 
inch thick, and if attention is to be paid to neatness 
dressed on the outside at least. Joist should be of two 
by four stuff, sixteen feet long. B}^ cutting these in 
two, making one length eight, and a half feet for the 
front, and the other seven and a half feet for the back, 
there will be no waste, and it will give the roof all the 
pitch necessary to shed water well. 

The roof can be made of ordinary roofing boards and 
covered with three-ply tarred roofing paper or felt, 
which, although it costs a little more at first, is the 
most economical in the end. If this is then given a 
good coating of roofing paint, or cement, it will last 



13 



for years. If shingles are to be had at a low price 
there can be no better roof if well laid. To secure a 
house cool in Summer and warm in Winter, it should 
be ceiled or plastered inside, but as this entails more 
expense than most people like to incur at first, if the 
building is lined on the north and west sides with two- 
ply felt roofing paper it will add to its warmth. If it 
is also used overhead, it will be an advantage, 
adding to the warmth in Winter and making it cooler 
in Summer. 

The floor should be made of tongued and grooved 
flooring, of such a quality as builder can afford. The 
front should be provided with large windows about six 
feet apart, and in size about three by six feet. This 
will give plenty of light, and sunlight in the 
Winter when the birds are confined to the house by 
snow and'«'cold weather. Windows should be made so 
as to slide to the side, that they may be opened and 




FIG. 3. 



14 





1 1 I 1 


" 


"■ 


1 1 1 1 1 




■ 


1 1 1 1 1 




" 


1 1 1 1 1 


"* 




NESTS 






NESTS 






NESTS 






NESTS 


- 


























1 WINDOW 






WINDOW 




«: 
o 


WINDOW 




1 


i 

WINDOW 1 


AVIARY 




AVIARY 

L J 


AVIARY 1 AVIARY \ 

_._ ___--J 



FIG. 4. 



closed as necessity requires. Size of lis:hts about 
seven by nine, and if covered with wire netting there is 
less liability of breakage. 

Ideas vary as to size of house, but one fourteen by 
sixteen feet floor surface, as shown in Fig. 3, with the 
heights as before mentioned front and back will ac- 
commodate about fifty pairs comfortably. As necessity 
requires this can be added to indefinitely. But rooms 
accommodating 100 birds, with communication between 
each room, I believe to he better than one long 
room, say to accommodate 1000 birds, as with so 
many in one room there is bound to be discord. Fig. 
4, shows ground plan of a house suitable for 400 birds. 
This house is fifty -six feet long and sixteen feet wide 
and is divided into four separate rooms, each being 
fourteen by sixteen feet in size. It is reallj" four houses 
joined together like the one shown in Fig. 3. The 
plan shows arrangement of interior, and location of 
nests. Fig. 5, is perspective view of the plan. 

If it is desired to commence with a few, a house to suit 



16 



the convenience can be erected. In constructing a 
house for commercial purposes the door should be 
made wide enough to admit a wheelbarrow, as there 
are many times when it will be an advantage to use 
one inside of the building. Attached to the house on 
the south side, should be an area or space for the birds 
to fly in, and have exercise in the open air. This can 
be made as large as capital will allow and the height 
of the building, eight and one -half feet. It should be 
surrounded and covered with wire netting of one -inch 
mesh, as it prevents the ingress of rats and sparrows, 
both of which devour the grain, and are in every way 
objectionable. 

The framework can be made of an}' light material 
supported on chestiuit or cedar posts. Around the run 
about six feet from the ground should be placed six- 
inch fence boards, with an occasional one running 
across from side to side. These are for resting-places 
for the birds when not on the wing, and will be found 
to be preferred by them to resting on the ground ex- 
cept when scratching for food or gravel. 

The openings for birds to gain access to the area or 
yard should be about six inches wide and six feet long 
about four feet from the floor. The door or shutter to 
these should be hung on hinges on the lower edge, and 
made to open outwards, on to brackets properly 
arranged so that when open this door can answer as an 
alighting -board when ])irds desire to enter the house. 
Cords can be so arranged as to close this door at night 
and at other times when necessary, without entering 
the building, as in all flocks there are some birds so 
timid that they fi}' to the yard as soon as any one 
enters the apartment. 

Besides this main opening one or two smaller open - 




GROUP OF HOMERS. 



19 

ings can be made six feet from the ground, four inches 
wide by five inches high, and these arranged with 
what are known as bolting wires, which are wires so 
arranged as to swing inwards, and permit any belated 
bird to enter, and yet when once inside prevent its 
getting out again. They should be supplied with a 
small shelf or alighting -board on the outside. The 
main exits need also an alighting -board or shelf on the 
inside about five to six inches wide, which can be sta- 
tionary. 

To prevent rats, mice, and other vermin from enter- 
ing the house through these openings, tin or sheet -iron 
should be tacked to the building, covering a space two 
feet below, one foot above, and one foot on either side 
of the openings. This prevents their getting a foot- 
hold, and while they might readily climb up the boards 
or battens, when they strike the smooth surface of the 
tin they ease their hold and fall to the ground. 

Along the front of the house and about one foot be- 
low the roof, on the eight and one -half foot side, cut 
openings one foot square and eight feet apart, with a 
key -hole or compass saw. Tack on the top of the 
pieces of board that come from these openings, strips 
of leather, replace the pieces and fasten the strip of 
leather to the remaining portion of the board. Cover 
the opening on the outside with wire netting to pre- 
vent the birds from fiying through. Arrange this with 
cords to raise or lower at will, and you have a small 
hanging door that can be used as a ventilator on hot 
da^'S and nights, or at any time when necessary. 
Should it be thought best to have it closed through 
cold weather a button placed at the bottom will hold it 
firmly in place. 

Such a house as I have described can be neatly 



20 




FIG. 6. 



painted, whitewashed, or covered with tar cement, 
which, although not very ornamental, is warm and cer- 
tainly water-proof. All doors should have spring at- 
tachments to them so that they will close of their own 
accord when any one passes through and thus prevent 
the birds flN'ing out. 

A good plan for a double house is shown in Fig. 6. 
This house may be built any size desired, according to 
the number of birds to be kept, Init it is not advisable 
to have the rooms larger than fourteen by sixteen feet 
each. This house has the double -pitched roof, which 
may be covered with shingles or tarred paper as may 
be preferred. Such a house will be found very cheer- 
ful and room}' for the birds to breed in, besides pre- 
■renting a very ornamental appearance. 

There are many persons living in cities and sub- 
urban places, with back yards as the onlj^ places where 
a pigeon -house could be built. Such persons can, 
with small expense, keep pigeons for pleasure and 
profit. In Fig. 7, is shown an excellent plan for a 



21 



house in the back yard. The size of the house and 
aviary will, of course, depend on the size of the yard 
and the inclinations of the builder. The house should 
be built snug and tight, rat -proof, and in the farthest 
end of the yard. 

Having prepared the outside, a few hints as to inside 
arrangements will be in order. In each house there 
should be a space partitioned off at the entrance, large 
enough to hold a few barrels for feed and such imple- 
ments as may be needed in cleaning, and when the 
building is enlarged to accommodate more birds, this 
store -room can be increased according to requirements. 

The nests or breeding -boxes, as shown in Fig. 8, 
should be made by erecting boards fourteen inches 
wide and reaching to the roof on the side opposite the 
windows, and about seven feet high on the ends of the 
room. Between these upright pieces should be placed 
one -inch boards fourteen inches wide, of such length as 




FIG. 



22 




FIG. 8. 

Space will admit (after taking out the feed -room) 
twelve inches apart. This will give a series of six 
shelves. These shelves should be divided into spaces 
b}^ partitions of fourteen -inch boards, placed twenty 
inches apart from center to center. This will make a 
little room or box fourteen b}' ninteen and one -half 
by twelve inches. This should be again subdivided b}- 
partitions twelve inches high and nine inches wide, 

thus dividing the larger 
room into two smaller 
spaces. In front of 
these spaces place a 
strip four inches wide, 
so arranged as to be 
easih' removed, and 
there is a breeding - 
room with two nests, 
and a walking -board about five inches wide. Fig. 9, 
shows the nest completed. With such an arrangement 
each pair of birds has an apartment to itself with two 
nest -boxes so that, as is frequently the case, if the hen 




FIG. 9. 



23 



desires to make another nest before- the first pair of 
young are ready to be taken away, she can go into the 
second apartment and lay and sit iindisturbed. 

By making nests in this way the pairs are prevented 
from quarreling, and interfering with one another, and 
by making the narrow strip in front of the nests mov- 
able, they can be easily cleaned. Unless it is necessary 
to utilize every foot of space the opening under the lower 

shelf need not be par- 
titioned off. By having 
a wire framework made to 
fit the front of each space 
3'ou can confine a pair of 
birds to its own apartment 
if necessary to do so, until 
the}' are wonted and 
settle down satisfied. 
B}' a proper arrangerae'nt 
of cleats, all these shelves 
and partitions can be made 
movable, so as to be taken 
down entirely without 
drawing a nail, when the 
general times for a 
thorough cleaning come 
around. Such a building 
as here described can be 
continued to any length desired, but my experience 
teaches me that it is best to keep the breeding stock in 
colonies of about one hundred instead of one long 
building accommodating five or six hundred. 

These hints as to construction can be varied and ap- 
plied by the breeder according to convenience of lo- 
cation and to suit his circumstances and requirements. 




FIG. 10. 



24 



Perches should be scattered around the house in all 
available places for the birds to alight upon. These 
perches ma}' be built in various waj'S, according to the 
individual taste^ as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. After 
the interior is satisfactorih' fitted up, and before the 
breeding stock is admitted, if given a thorough coat of 
whitewash with a tinge of blue in it, the appearance will 
be much improved. When persons desire to keep a few 
pigeons to raise squabs for family use, the same rules 
will apply as for constructing apartments for commer- 
cial purposes. 

In man}' localities where it is desirable to raise squabs 
in Winter, the breeding room must be artificially 
heated. This can be 
done b}' stoves, or with 
a regular sj'stem of 
steam heating. The 
temperature needs to 
be kept just so that 
water will not freeze, 
and that the young will 
not get chilled when 
left uncovered bj' the 
old birds. If the room 
is kept too warm it 
will enervate the breeding birds, be likeh^ to cause 
them to cast their feathers, and cause results entirelj' 
contrar}- to what is desired. Unlike fanc}- pigeons, 
squabs raisers want to be induced to bring out as many 
as possible during the Winter months, as this is the 
time for best prices, and whatever course is best to bring 
about such results is the one to adopt. 




FIG. 11. 



BREEDING STOCK. 



<^|^a^<i^ ITH the Ijreeding -house satisfactorily 
AMI constructed and arranged, the next move 
^ir^FV to make is to properh' stock it for breed- 
ing, and this is one of the most important 
factors in breeding squabs for market, and one that it 
will take some time to l)ring about. 

To throw a promiscuous lot of birds together, with- 
out regard to variet}' or color, is not the thing. While 
they maj' all be mated pairs, and produce squabs, this 
is not all that is trul}- desirable. What is wanted is a 
bird that will ])roduce a large squab of a light color, 
one that is a good nurse and feeder, and one so prolific 
that the hen will lay another pair of eggs before the first 
pair of 3'oung are ready to leave the nest. I speak 
particularh'of a light -colored bird because light -color- 
ed squabs bring at least twent}" -five per cent, more in the 
market than dark -colored ones, and large, fat squalls 
are more attractive and salable than small, scrawny'- 
ones; and large, fat squabs can onl}- be produced b}- 
good feeders and nurses. Consequentl}' such l;)irds are 
realh' a necessit}' and can only be had by carefuUj- 
selecting and culling, which takes time. 

But to make a beginning. If in the neighborhood of 
a large cit}' you can, by frequently visiting the markets 
and bird stores, find just what is wanted for your 
pur]iose at a low price, and first cost has much to do 



26 



with the profits of the business. Commission men and 
dealers are continually receiving consignments of 
pigeons, and in all these lots you will generally find 
some large, light -colored, cross-bred birds which will 
answer your purpose, and, by paying a trifle above the 
market price, 3^ou will be allowed to select from the lot. 

Some writers specify a particular variety as being 
most desirable, such as Duchesse, Antwerps and 
Dragoons. But my experience teaches me that crosses 
of these varieties among themselves, or with large 
common pigeons make the best breeders, and it is just 
such birds as these that you want to look for in the 
markets and among the dealers. The one objection to 
this course is the inability to tell the sex of a bird at 
sight, but by putting them into a room together j'ou 
can soon tell male from female, and if 3'ou find j^ou 
have an excess of males, which is generallj^ the case, 
you can cull them out and either dispose of them or 
hold them until you procure mates for them. Such a 
course as this takes time, l)Ut all this while 3'ou are 
learning the nature and habits of your birds, and it is 
better, say, to begin with such a lot of birds which may 
cost you $1 a pair than to purchase Duchesse, Dragoons 
and Antwerps at $2 to $3 a pair from breeders at a 
distance and then not be sure of their being pairs. 

If you, after a time, collect a lot of large, light - 
colored common hens, then it would be well to cross 
these with Silver, Silver Dun, or White Antwerps, or 
with Yellow or White Dragoon males ; such matings 
would be likelj'to bring 3'ou large, light -colored squabs. 
The Duchesse is a large -bodied bird and when pure- 
bred has feathered or booted legs, which is an objection, 
as in squab raising a clean -legged bird is most de- 
sirable. By crossing a Duchesse hen with a strong 



27 



Antwerp or Dragoon male you will get a bird of large 
body and thinly feathered on legs. Such a bird again 
crossed with the Dragoon wovild give just about what 
is wanted in a squab breeder — a good -sized bird with 
clean legs. In mating birds for this purpose it is best 
to have the hen the larger of the ])air and yet there 
should not be too great a disparity in their size. 

Many novices, knowing that the Runt is a large 
pigeon, say at once, "Why that is the pigeon for 
squabs". In theory this is all right, but from the fact 
that the Runt is not a prolific bird and that they are 
not the best of nurses, from a practical point of view 
this is all wrong. Their squabs are large, but there 
are not enough of them through the year to satisfy the 
breeder for market. Then again, large Runts are worth 
from $8 to $10 a pair, which makes them too expensive 
even if practical for the purpose. 

If these extremely large squabs could be had in 
sufficient numbers it is a question if, under existing 
market conditions, they would prove profitable. As 
squabs are usally sold b}^ the dozen, and not by weight, 
and the consumption of food by these large birds is 
twice that consumed by the Duchesse and the Dragoon 
cross, the expense of keeping the breeding stock and 
raising the squabs is naturally increased, and the ques- 
tion is, would the price advance in proportion to size 
and cost? I think not, and consequently this also would 
be an objection to the Runt for market purposes. 

There is a large, white pigeon, frequently met with, 
by some called a Runt, although not half as large as a 
true Runt, that would make a good cross with the Dra- 
goon or Antwerp. Those I have frequently seen in the 
markets of Philadelphia and New York, and when seen 
alwaj^s secured them for this purpose. But the intend- 



28 



ing breeder may not have the advantages of these city 
markets ; in such a case watch the advertisements of the 
various poultry and pigeon papers and magazines, and 
what is better advertise for what you want. Then on 
finding what is wanted make the best bargain possible, 
either for the lot, for the hens alone, or for pairs. 
Pigeons at least a year old are the best to begin with, 
as they are then of the proper age to go right to work, 
and as the hens are good for four or five j-ears, and the 
males twice as long, once the flock is established it will 
need only occasional additions to keep it intact. 

While establishing 5'our flock, 3'ou must expect many 
disappointments, especiall}' regarding the sex of those 
you buy, and if you get a good flock in working order 
the first year you should be satisfied. After this, by 
watching 3'our birds 3'ou will find which are j'our best 
breeders and feeders, and can cull out the poor ones 
and substitute others at your leisure, as the dairyman 
does his cows. 

The advantage of having all white birds in j-our 
flock is that they will alwaj's command a good price, 
when in good plumage, from taxidermists ; and so when 
culling, instead of having to accept the low price that 
colored pigeons would bring, j-ou can often get all you 
have paid. To be in good feather the white birds need 
to be in full feather about the head and throat. Wing- 
feathers and tail -feathers can be supplied b}' the stuff er, 
but onl}" nature and good condition can supph' the fine 
short feathers of the head and throat. 

If the intending breeder lives in the country where 
his birds can fly at libert}-, he could keep a flock on 
purpose to breed squab raisers, and not be obliged to 
look elsewhere for them. By judicious selection and 
pairing in a few years a flock could be secured that 



31 

would make ideal squab raisers. This is uo theorj', but 
the actual practice of successful breeders and only needs 
to be tried to prove its value. As the object is to raise 
as many young from a pair each 3'ear as possible, as soon 
as it is found that a hen begins to laj' only one egg, or 
is irregular in her laying, it is best to dispose of the 
pair altogether, or if the mate is a good, strong, healthy 
bird secure a new ]3artner for him. B3' having an extra 
flock to draw from it is an easy matter to keep the 
breeding stock up to the standard of production 
desired. 

Always have birds mated when turned into the 
breeding room, and b}' securing them in a s]iare breeding 
space by the wire door before mentioned, they can 
readil}^ be wonted to a locality. Never allow old cocks 
nor hens to be flying about; if you do you will find it 
creating discord, and dividing pairs. Harmony and 
peace are very necessary factors to success in this line 
of business. You want no drones, only active workers. 

There is often difficult}^ in determining the sex of 
pigeons, especially young birds, for nature has not 
, made such a marked difference in the 

o ^ ^ male and female of the genus Colmnba 

as she has in that of the gallinaceous 
family. There are various plans given to decide the 
sex, such as examining the bones of the os sacno)! 
or vent ; taking the beak of the pigeon in one hand 
and the feet in the other and stretching them out, if 
the bird throws its tail it is decided to be a hen, if 
it hugs it down tightly, a male. In examining the vent, 
if the breast -bone is short and the bones of the vent 
wide apart it is declared to be a hen, if close together 
and the space between them small it is called a male. 

I have in years of experience found all these signs 



32 



to fail, but if I should lean towards confidence in either 
one, it would be towards the one depending on the 
elevation and lowering of the tail. The only sure 
way I know of is to watch their actions. It will be 
found the male does most of the cooing, is the more 
active, and has a little coarser appearance about the 
head then the hen. If j'ou see one of a flock rather fine 
about the head, quiet in its actions, and rather inclined 
to keep out of trouble than fight back, you can 
reasonably select it as a hen. Try the stretching test 
and if favored by this test take it as a hen. Place it 
with one you know to be a cock in a mating -pen, and 
if old enough to mate 5'ou can .soon decide as to sex. 
I regard a mating -pen .which is a box with two 

apartments sepa- 
rated by a wire par - 
tition as shown in 
Fig. 12, so that the 
birds 5'ou desire to 
pair can see each 
other between the 
wires, a very nec- 
essary' addition to every breeding loft. By placing all 
uncertain birds in this before turning them into the 
breeding room, you can be sure that they are safe to 
trust together alone. If in a promiscuous lot of 
pigeons you find one bird following another about 
from place to place and occasionally pecking at it, you 
can be sure that this is a mated pair, and that the cock 
is, as it is termed, driving, the hen to nest. If it is 
about time for her to lay she will soon settle in the 
nest selected for her and her mate will be satisfied, but if 
she is not ready to la\-, the cock may drive her too hard 
and abuse her; in such a case the}^ should be separated. 




FU 



FOOD AND FEEDING. 



/^■■^HE kinds of food, and time to feed, are matters 
/ \ of necessary consideration ; to choose food 
^^i^ that will be relished, and to so vary it as to 
keep the birds in good appetite and condition. 
For a breeding bird that eats but little will make a 
poor feeder and your young stock will suffer accord- 
ingly. The idea is to keep a bird that has a good ap- 
petite and pays strict attention to the care of its young, 
from getting cloyed or getting too fat and lazy. 

All food should be placed in a covered feed -box or 
trough as shown in Fig. 13. To make one take an 
inch board ten inches wide and six feet long, make 
sides and ends of strips two and one -half inches wide, 
nailed to upper side of this board ; make a correspond- 
ing frame of same size, and attach a hinged cover to.it; 
connect the two by strips of lathes nine inches long, 
placed two inches apart, and you have a covered feed- 
box that the pigeons cannot get into, and from which 
they cannot throw out the grain. As many of these 
can be made as is necessary to accommodate the birds 
you have to feed, allowing one to every twenty -five or 
thirty pairs of birds. By having feed -box covered 
they cannot soil the grain and through spaces made by 
the slats every bird can feed without interruption from 
its neighbor. When small flocks are kept a galvanized 
iron hopper, as shown in Fig. 14, is splendid for keep- 



34 




FIG. 13. 

ing the feed in. Such a hopper avoids waste and au- 
tomatically lets the grain down as used. 

As economy in food is one great item in this busi- 
ness, it is a point to be well considered. But the cheap- 
est food is not alwaj'S the most economical. To bu}' 
grain that has been wet, and run the chances of its be- 
ing must}^ is unsafe, for musty grain is sure to produce 
disease of throat and liowels. Rj^e is not a safe food ; 
unhulled oats are bad. New wheat and new corn are 
both productive of bowel trouble. Screening, if dry, 
sweet, and of first quality' are 
to be recommended, but what 
is known and sold as screen- 
ings is usuall}^ full of chess, 
cockle, rj'e, and l^lasted grain. 
and is in no sense an economi- 
cal food. In truth the best, 
safest, and most satisfactorj^ 
food for all times and seasons 
is good, sound, dr}' red wheat 
(never white wheat) and sound 
cracked corn. These should 
not be mixed, but fed sepa - 
rateljs say three feeds of wheat and then a feed of 
cracked corn, making the change from one to the other 
as far as possible in the morning when crops are empt}'. 




FIG. 14 



35 

Wheat can be bought in quantit}' when cheap and kept 
in a dry place, but cracked corn should onlj' be bought 
or prepared in small quantities at a time, as it absorbs 
moisture quickl}-, and if kept in large quantities is apt 
to mould and become mustj' and sour. 

This food can be varied with occasional feeds of 
buckwheat, millet, and Canada peas, if prices are not 
too high. Hemp seed should alwaj's be kept on hand 
for sick or debilitated birds, and once a month give a 
feed of hemp seed to all. Pigeons are very fond of this 
seed, but it is too heating and stimulating for a general 
food. Good, sound hulled oats also makes a good 
food for a change, and dried stale bread crushed fine, 
mixed with bran and a verj- little salt and moistened 
makes an economical food and one that is greatlj^ 
relished. No green food is necessary at any time, al- 
though lettuce is sometimes given^ — nothing else, how- 
ever. 

In feeding birds much food is frequentlj' wasted by 
giving more at one time than the l)irds will clean up. 
Birds feeding their ^-oung should be fed twice each day ; 
the first time as soon after daylight as possible, the 
second time about three o'clock in the afternoon, in the 
Winter, and four in the Summer, thus giving the old 
birds time to fill the crops of their young before dark. 
Onlj' as much feed should be given each time as the 
birds will clean up. This amount can be readily ascer- 
tained b}^ measuring the amount in a bucket for a few 
times. If at the next feeding there still remains some 
of the preceding feeding, reduce the amount until just 
what is nicelj' cleaned up is used. 

Of course, the same number of birds will eat con- 
siderabh^ more at one time of the month than another, 
depending on the number of squabs thej' are feeding. 



36 



But by giving it close attention the feeder can calculate 
about what will be consumed. If much food is left 
when birds have been feeding as a general thing liber- 
ally, you may have a suspicion that all is not right, 
and instead of turning fresh food in with that which is 
left, remove it altogether, sift it and examine it, and 
watch the results of the food supplied in its place ; if 
that is again refused j^ou may know there is something 
that has made it distasteful and other food should be 
substituted. For this reason it is not alwaj^s safe to 
buy too large a quantity of grain at once, until it is 
found to be satisfactory to your birds. 

In addition to the feed -boxes, provide some low 
boxes as shown 
in Fig. 15, in 
which to keep a 
supply of grit or 
gravel, also 
ground oyster ll| 
shells. At the 
present time 
there are various 
kinds of prepar- 
ed grit offered 
for sale, but, if 
convenient to a 
shore of ocean, lake, or pond you can with a sieve and 
a little labor get all the grit you need. A box of 
broken bone and broken charcoal while not a necessity 
will be found to be acceptable to the birds. Old lime 
mortar such as comes from stone or brick walls, especi- 
ally if wet with a little stale urine, will be found to be 
often visited. Pigeons have such a liking for this, that 
they will, if confined in a brick building, peck it out 




FIG. IS. 



37 




from between the bricks. When put in a box it needs 
to be broken into small pieces and not left in the lump. 
Pigeons should have at all times an abundance of 
fresh, clean water both for bathing and drinking pur- 
poses. If it can be supplied from a source 
that can furnish constantly a running suppl3^ 
so much the better, as nothing has a tendency to create 
disease like impure water, and water kept in open ves- 
sels is sure to be fouled after standing a few hours. 
Water even in closed vessels becomes impure if it stands 
over twenty -four hours. Consequently 
the water suppl^^ needs very careful 
attention. If running water can be 
supplied, it can be conducted through 
the breeding rooms in a long, narrow 
trough, say six inches wide and three ^ 
inchesdeep, so arranged at the waste end 
as not to clog and overflow ; or it can be 
run into small tanks or boxes, two feet by four feet 
from four to five inches deep. In such a tank the pig- 
eons can also bathe at will and the constant flow of 
water keeps the tank free from impurities with the 
assistance of a daily cleansing. But if no facilities for 
running water exist then recourse must be had to foun - 
tains, as shown in Figs. 16 and 17, of which there are 
many patterns. The former is made of galvanized 

iron, and the latter of earth- 
en-ware. Both of these 
fountains are automatic 
and keep the water pure and 
cool. They are made in 
various sizes. These are 
better than open tubs, be- 
cause the water can be kept 



FIG. 10. 







FIG. ll 



38 




FIG. 18. 



coolel and purer than in open vessels, and by havino^ 
a number placed at different points about the loft ac- 
commodations can be had for all. Those who have had 
experience with 
open tubs know 
how common it is 
for pigeons, es- 
pecially in Sum- 
mertime, to crowd 
into a freshl}' filled 
tub and take a 
bath, leaving the water of a milky hue from the im- 
purities of their bodies. While this may in time settle, 
the impurities remain until the tub is emptied and 
scrubbed out, and for birds to be obliged to drink such 
water is certainly not conducive to health. If an open 
pan is used to supply water for drinking purposes, a 
wire frame like that shown in Fig. IS should be made 
around it to keep the ])irds from getting into and foul - 
ing the water. 

A bath two or three times a week is a necessit}' for 

perfect health, as this 
is the only way pigeons 
have of ridding them- 
selves of vermin and 
■cleansing their feathers 
and bodies. Galli- 
naceous birds or fowls 
depend on dry dust or 
^ ^ earth for this purpose, 

FIG. , . , " , 

but water is the sole 
dependence of the Columbarian family. When the 
weather and temperature permit of it, the yard or area 
is the best place for the bath, as the splashing that 




39 



iisualh^ follows the birds' entry into the water can do 
no harm. But when too cold and stormy it must be 
taken inside, and the water be made luke warm. Tubs 
suitable for bathing can be made by taking any strongly 
made barrel, and sawing off the ends, making two tulxs 
about five inches deep, as shown in Fig. 19. Another 
pattern of l:)ath tub is made like that shown in Fig. 20. 
This tub is about three feet in length, a foot and a half 
in width, and five inches deep, lined inside with tin or 
galvanized iron. These must be emptied and set aside 
after all have had a chance to bathe. If it is desired to 
use them for drinking purposes, they can be fitted with 
a cover, and holes made in this cover, oval in shape, 
and about four 
inches wide in the 
widest part. Then 
after the bath is 
taken the tubs can 
he refilled, the cover 
put on and birds take 
the water at will. 

Salt is almost as much of a necessity to pigeons as 
food. Certainly they do not thrive without it, and 
every good breeder keeps a supply of it where it can be 
taken at pleasure. The best form to give it is 
in the lump, as it comes from the quariies, 
known as mineral or rock salt ; a lump will weigh from 
four to ten pounds and can be purchased at most feed 
stores. Placed on the floor it gathers moisture from 
the air and so keeps in a condition that the birds can 
easil}' get all that the}^ need. Fine salt would be likely 
to be too freely partaken of, and be an injury rather 
than a benefit. If rock salt cannot be obtained take a 
ten -pound bag of table salt, wet it thoroughly and then 




FIG. 20. 



Salt. 



40 

bake it in the oven. It will usually bake hard and in 
this state will take the place of rock salt. 

The salt-cat is another necessary compound for the 
health of pigeons. It is made in various wa3^s but as 
good a mixture as I know of is brick -maker's loam, 
sharp sand, and old lime mortar (free from hair) one- 
half peck each ; to this add one -half pound carraway 
seed, one -half pound coriander, one -half pound cum- 
min seed crushed, and one pint ba}' salt. Mix it 
thoroughly together, wetting it with stale urine, until 
it is of the consistency of stiff mortar. Mould it into 
cakes three inches thick and six inches in diameter, dry 
thoroughl}' in the sun, then place in a small box similar 
to the one shown in Fig. 15, in the loft, and the pigeons 
will soon show their appreciation of it. Another for- 
mula is, one peck sifted dr}- loam, one handful or flour, 
one handful ground cloves, one handful of fennel seed, 
one handful of dill seed, one handful of cummin seed, 
one handful of fennigreek, one handful of powdered 
assafetida, three double handfuls of table salt, one 
double handful bay salt. Mix well dr}', and then add 
water to make as stiff as putty, di\'ide in three -pound 
lumps, and bake in oven or dry in the sun. 

Pigeons in a state of nature build a rough nest of 
twigs and coarse grasses. In confinement the}^ are 
unable to get such material, l)Ut as a substitute tobacco 
, stems can be used, which not only satisfy 

TTir , I the natural desire to build but also answer 
as a guard against vermin. A few of these 
placed in one corner of the breeding room occasionally, 
will be quickl}^ appropriated. Some breeders do not 
believe in coarse nesting material, and in its place use 
coarse pine shavings, renewing them as often as they 
become foul. But this does not satisfy the natural de- 




WHITE HOMING PIGEONS. 



43 



sire that the i)i:;;eon has to build a nest, and so I believe 
that the}' should be gratified in this natural instinct, 
althouc^h I also think a laj-er of coarse pine sawdust 
for a foundation where nest -pans are not used is a good 
thing. It prevents the excrement from sticking to the 
floor of the apartment, is a preventive of lice, and is 
easily removed and renewed as soon as the young birds 
are taken away. 

It is a question with manj' as to what is the best ma- 
terial for covering the floor of a breeding room, some 
advocating sawdust, some sand, and others the new 
peat mass so much used for bedding for horses. Ac- 
cording to mj' experience, good sharp beach sand is the 
best, as it is a good absorbent and can be kept clean by 
raking over once a day, and needs renewing but seldom. 
If unable to get beach sand, then sawdust is next best 
on account of its cheapness, but it needs to be placed 
pretty thickly on the floor, or when dried out it will be 
blown about by the 1)irds when tlN'ing around, leaving 
bare places on the floor, and gathering in windrows 
about the sides. This also needs to be raked over daily 
and the refuse gathered up. The peat mass mentioned 
is an excellent floor material, being an absorbent and 
thus preventing any disagreeable odors, but it being 
expensive puts it out of the reach of the squab raiser 
who must study economy in all supplies. 

All the rakings of the loft and nests should be saved 
and put into barrels. It all has a value, and is eagerly 
sought after by gardeners and morocco manufacturers. 
The freer it is kept from sticks and saw- 
dust the more it is prized, and as this al' 
counts in with the profits it needs some attention. 
The dung of domestic birds in general contains salts 
similar to those of guano, and for mulberries, vines 



44 



peaches, and other fruits and plants, one part of the 
droppings to from four to ten of water has been found 
to produce excellent results. To realize the full value 
of the manure, have a dr^' house and plent}^ of good 
absorbent on the shelves and dropping -l)oards. Gather 
twice a week and mix with twice the quantit}' of good 
woods earth or dr}- muck, and keep in barrels in a dry- 
place, or compost them as soon as gathered with twice 
or three times their Inilk of dr}' material. 

Feathers, also, are an item of profit and need to be 
cared for. All the feathers plucked from the squabs, 
the old birds that die, and those that gather in the 
rooms at molting time, should be gathered together, 
separated from the wing and tail-feathers, thoroughly 
heated b}' steam or otherwi.se, and kept in ]:)ags. They 
will sell at some price and pay for the care given them. 






BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT. 



H^^ VERY things in the l^reeding room being ar- 
il^' ranged for the comfort and convenience of the 
/^^^r birds, and each pair properly mated, they can 
now be placed in the apartments provided for 
them, kept there a few days until wonted to their local- 
ity, and then given the liberty of the loft or room. If 
they are properly mated they will soon begin to build 
their nest and the hen to lay. She usually lays two 
eggs, a day intervening between the first and second 
eg^. Some breeders advocate removing the first egg 
and replacing it in the nest when the second is laid, 
but this is not natural and I believe in letting matters 
take a natural course. By watching the birds carefully 
one can readily tell when the eggs are laid, and if each 
apartment is numbered, the date of laying can be en- 
tered in a book kept for the purpose, and then it can be 
known when they are due to hatch. 

The period of incubation is from sixteen to eighteen 
days, and the cock takes his turn of sitting with the 
hen, he sitting from ten in the morning to about four 
in the afternoon, and she, taking his place at that time, 
continues on through the night until about ten the next 
morning. After the birds have been sitting three or 
four d?ys an examination of the eggs will show whether 
they are fertile or not. Take them in the hand and 
hold between the eye and a strong light. If fertile they 



46 



will be dark and opaque. If infertile the}' will be clear 
and nearl}' transparent. Sometimes one e^g will be 
fertile, and the other clear. If you have kept the date 
that the eggs were laid, and have two pairs that have 
had eggs close together, and both with one fertile egg 
and one clear, one pair can be broken up, and their egg 
gi\-en to the other pair, and in a week or so the pair 
that has been left without eggs will be read}' to lay 
again. Never give one ]xiir of birds three eggs, be- 
cause two 5'oung birds are all, really, that' an old pair 
can feed properh", and to divide the care between three 
that should be given only to two will result in all three 
being under size, and is poor economy. 

If a hen sits her full time, and at the end of the 
eighteenth daj' there are no young, the eggs might as 

well be taken from the 
pair, as it is onl}^ a waste 
of time to allow them to 
sit longer. The 5'oung 
often die in the shell from 
chill, or other unknown 
causes, a week before the 

PEEPER, ONE DAY OLD. ^j^^g fQj- hatchiUg COffiCS 

around. Careful observation and experience will teach 
the breeder to tell about this time whether there is still 
life in the egg, bj' holding it. between the eye and a 
strong light, and if all life seems to be extinct take 
such eggs awa}'. If one egg onl}' is bad the pair 
should be permitted to hatch the fertile egg, and then 
after the 3'oung bird is a week old, and the old birds 
have fed off their soft food, this j'oung bird can be 
transferred to some other pair that has only one 5'oung. 
Make the transfer to the pair that are known to be the 
best feeders. 




47 



The soft food mentioned is a peculiar condition that 
the food taken bj' the ])arent iMrd assumes about the 
time the eggs are ready to hatch. All food taken 
changes to a chymej' nature, and is known as pigeon's 
milk. This wonderful provision of nature for the sus- 
tenance of the little morsel that is released from the 
egg at the end of the incubating period, blind and 
helpless, enables the parent bird to give it nourish- 
ment until it is able to take whole grain. To feed it 
the old bird takes the Inll of the 5"Oung one in its 
mouth, and, bj- a spasmodic action of crop and throat, 
injects the "milk" into the mouth of the j'ounger 
bird. This is kept up for some time, and gradually 
mixed with grain taken bj' the parent, until finalh' the 
grain is taken whole, simply being moistened in the 
o'd bird's crop. After 
this milk}" change in f^ fhf-'^- 

the food takes place, 
it is necessar}' for the 
health of the old birds 
that it should 1)e 
" fed off " and this is 

why no change of 

young is advised at squeakers, ten days old. 

once. Pigeons losing their 3-oung from any cause be- 
fore this soft -food period is past are frequently made 
sick. So much so as to interfere with their immediate 
laying. Consequentl}' the breeder needs to pay atten- 
tion to this time, and if he finds the j'oung of a pair 
dead, he should then Ijorrow one from another pair, 
about the same age, which they can feed, until the 
danger is passed, when it can be returned to the origi- 
nal nest. Experience will teach any one how to make 
these changes so that the_v shall keep the stock increasing. 




48 




SQCEAI-KKS, THREE WEEKS OLD. 



Frequently a pair will Iniild, and althousa:!! they go 
to nest, and perforin all the duties of a mated pair, 
there will be no eggs. This proves that the hen is 
either not well matured, or barren. Such a pair if 
given a i^air of fertile eggs will likely sit on them, 
hatch them, and care well for the young, and often the 
natural functions of the hen are aroused and she will 
commence laying, as she is expected to do. If after 
raising a pair of young, the hen still neglects to lay, 
j^ou can count her as barren, and of no use, and she 
should be cast aside and the male ])rovided with a new 
mate. 

Often where there are two squabs in a nest, one will 
seem to get the greater part of the food, and be plump 
and thrifty, while the other is puny and starved. Why 



49 



it is that the old birds seem to favor one more than the 
other no one can explain, but the fact remains. The 
wa}' to do in such cases is either to transfer the weaker 
bird to a pair with a single bird about its size, or to 
feed it bj* hand. To feed by hand soak the grain 30U 
feed in water, until soft, and then feed a grain at a 
time until the little crop is filled, or take pellets of 
moist bread and feed i:: '" rr.ewaj'. Some breeders 
take the grain in their chew it fine, and then 

b\' inserting the squab s bill between the lips, by the 
aid of the tongue f - ' food into the squab's mouth. 
A little practice wi; . one to feed ver\- quickh', 

and the 3'oung bird ieams to take it as readily, and 
" ' • ■ V * agemess to be fed whenever * - ^er 
; nest. Such an operation : at 

nr.st strike an\' one favorably, but on learning how, 
mans- squabs can be saved and raised by this process, 
and piittinjr it in practice one's squeamishness is over- 
cc ice found to be not such a disagree - 

a':.!'; 'j-.-z ■<^-: J . „.-t supposed. After feeding in this 
way a few da\'s and getting the neglected bird in good 
condition, the old birds will be likeh^ to paj' it more 
attent: - ■ - ' - ' ft as they are ex^ "" ' " ' 

Ck .uiet are v-er>' e:- .ess in 

th equently 3'ou want few visitors and 

r — es. If you ^- " ":e pairs in 

y Ije quarrel- :er remove 

; others, for the3' wi!; re harm 

::-a:- ^oo^-. e . ''^ *^ -—■—--- ^ :-. squabs 

themselves. . :ed over even,- 

day, and the ofiai gathered up and saved. When a 
p^ - - '•-••*". one nest clean f^ "■■': *:'r' — -rhly, 
a: vdust. If 5-0U': ;. _ . .v- 

dust : :ne. Watch cioseij' for lice, es- 



50 



pecially during the Summer, and if j'ou see anj^ indi- 
cations around the cracks of the partitions or else- 
where, give them a dose of kerosene oil; this will 
quickly dispose of them. By having; a squirt -can j'ou 
can easily inject the oil into anj' crack or opening, and 
it is sure death to insect life, while the odor does not 
seem to have any bad effect on the pigeons. 

Move quietly about the room and 5-our birds will 
soon learn to know 3'ou and have no fear of j'ou. 



\ii \\t \U 

m T \h 
\ 



DRESSING SQUABS FOR MARKET. 



^^W'N dressinof squabs for market it is important to 
Mm kill them at about the time thej^ have reached 
II the best market condition, which is just about 
four weeks as a rule, although some parents 
will feed their j-oung better than others, and in twenty - 
five days have them as forward as they would be in 
twenty -eight daj'S under other care. But while four 
weeks is about the usual time, if not well developed, 
that is, if the abdomen has not become firm and hard, 
they had better be left a week longer, and such birds 
wall be found to have gained more in that additional 
time. ■' After a little practice the breeder can tell, almost 
at a glance, whether the squab is in proper condition to 
kill. What is wanted is large, fat squabs, and about 
the time they start to leave the nest is the time they 
attain this condition. A careful supervision will enable 
one to tell what pairs have their j'oung in proper con - 
dition. 

They should be collected the afternoon of the da}- 
before they are to be killed, and put in boxes, so that 
their crops will be emptied of all food at the time of 
killing. This is important, as the birds look bad and 
do not keep so well if food is left in their crops after 
being killed. But the crop can be emptied by squeez- 
ing out the grain with the fingers, in case it is not pos- 
sible to collect all yjw want to ship the daj- before, but 



52 



this adds much to the work and should be avoided if 
possible. 

When ready to kill take the squab in the left hand, 
holding the wings and the feet together in a firm grasp, 
the head between the thumb and fore -finger, then in- 
sert the blade of a sharp penknife into the mouth, 
sever the jugular vein at the back of the head, drop the 
head and the blood will readily flow out of the mouth. 
As soon as the blood has ceased to flow, commence 
plucking the feathers, beginning with those of head 
and tail, as birds pick easier at this time than at 
any other, everj^thing seeming to relax, and for this 
reason squabs should onl)'- be killed as they are want- 
ed for picking. Take only a few feathers at a time so 
as to avoid tearing the skin. It is tedious business at 
first, but practice will soon make perfect. Even the 
most expert will, once in a while, tear the skin, it is so 
tender, but as far as possible it must be avoided, as it 
injures the appearance of the squab, and detracts from 
its selling qualities. A good picker will pick from 
seven to eight pairs an hour. Some have a record as 
high as twelve and fourteen, but very few can work as 
fast as this, and seven pairs an hour is considered good 
work. 

After the squab is picked clean, throw it into cold 
water, slightly salted, and leave it in about thirty 
minutes. This takes out the animal heat, plumps 
them up, and makes them appear lighter colored than 
if left as they come from the picker. When the half- 
hour is up, take them from the water, wash all dirt 
from their feet, and blood from their mouth and head, 
fold the wings nicely across the back, tie the two inside 
legs together of a pair, always putting squabs of same 
size and fatness together, and they are ready for packing. 




M\!m-^ 



lilli'iiPi 



PAIR BLUE DRAGOONS. 



55 

When ready to ship squabs to market, divide them 
up in the box or boxes, so that all the largest and fin- 
est lay together on the top of the box, 
Shipping: ^^^^^ ^jj ,j^^ poorest at the bottom. If 

your stock is properly looked after there 
will not be many poor ones. In cold weather, it is only 
necessary to pack in neat, strong boxes, in layers, 
breast down. Six layers is enough, as too many are 
apt to flatten down and take away that plump, round 
appearance, that goes so far toward making them at- 
tractive and salable at good prices. The boxes should 
not be tight, but open just enough to let a little air in. 
In Summer put a good layer of ice in the bottom of 
the box, then put in your squabs, and on top of them, 
for the last layer, put cracked ice again. The ice 
melting and the water trickling down between the birds 
keeps them nice and cool until they get to their desti- 
nation. Naturally the box for Summer use needs to 
be tighter than that for cold weather. 

In looking for purchasers for squabs you will find, 
if you can give a steady supply week after week, there 
will be no difficulty in obtaining the best class of cus- 
tomers — private parties, hotels, and fine restaurants. 
Make the best arrangements you can with them as to 
prices and number they will take for the season, and 
then aim to retain their custom by supplying only the 
best. All game stores handle squabs, but the best 
paying trade is private families, who will take one or 
two pairs every week the year round and at a fair price. 
In the markets you can also sell at all times but not at 
such good figures. Try to get every private family 
you can, as you get the best retail price from them. 
Find out what they have paid and what they will pay 
and arrange accordingly. If you live so far from a 



56 

large citj^ that j'ou can not look up j^our customers, it 
would often pay to advertise that families will be sup- 
plied on demand. Or j^ou could consign 3'our stock to 
a good, reliable commission house, which will often 
obtain very fair prices for you. The best location, 
however, for a squab raiser is near enough to a large 
cit}^ to be able to get in once a week, to look after 
sales, customers, and other details. If 3'ou have only 
a few pairs each week, they can easil}^ be put in a 
canvas case or basket and carried along with j-ou as 
desired. 

As to selling price, that depends on the size and con - 
dition of squabs, and season of the 3'ear, from the 
poorest, thin little things in Mid -summer at twenty 
cents a pair (that no man who pretends to raise Squabs 
for profit would ever send to market) to the extra large 
fat squabs, that retail in Mid -winter all the way up to 
$1 a pair. Of course, wholesale prices would be from 
ten to twenty per cent, less than these prices, on the 
same birds. A successful squab raiser ought to l)e 
able to retail squabs at an average of sixty cents a pair 
the year round. This is for strictl}' first-class birds. 
What few second-grade squabs he would have to sell 
ought to average forty cents per pair the year through, 
but these last should be ver}^ few in number only from 
young breeders. 

With good management a good pair of breeders 
ought, at a low calculation, to clear $1 a yes.v, often 
more, seldom less. The manure and feathers when 
properly cared for will raise this average five to ten cents 
a pair, so that if you have five hundred breeding pairs, 
you could reasonably expect to realize a profit of at least 
$500 a year, or $1,000 on one thousand pairs, and in 
that ratio according to the number of pairs j-ou keep. 



57 

Good breeders will lay from six to eight pairs of eggs 
a year, but it is verj^ few that will hatch all the eggs, 
or raise all the young that are hatched. If they would 
all do this, there would be few better pajnng invest- 
ments. The estimate of profit made does not include 
cost of labor. 

To conclude, any one who decides to embark in the 
business of squab raising must conduct it on business 
methods, giving it personal attention, having regular 
times for feeding, cleaning, and collecting the squabs, 
learning the peculiarities of his birds, and treating 
them so as to gain their confidence, discarding such as 
prove quarrelsome or bad nurses, and watching at all 
times for opportunities to secure stock that shall give 
size and quality to his flock. Experience will teach 
him many lessons not contained in this little book, but 
if what has been written proves of benefit to the 
reader, the object aimed at, thyt of aiding the beginner 
in his first endeavors in squab raising, will have been 
accomplished and the l)Ook have fulfilled its mission. 






•^^yt^ 






DISEASES OF PIGEONS. 



mo matter how careful you may be, in all col- 
lections of pigeons, especially large ones^ 
there will be some that suffer from the dis- 
eases peculiar to the species. Of these I 
can only speak in a general way and treat of the most 
common, for it does not pay a squab breeder to devote 
much time to the sick. It is better to remove them at 
once, and replace them with others, for even if cured 
it may be a long time before they get into good breed- 
ing condition again, and the time and attention given 
them could more profitably be given to the well. 
Among the most common ailments are canker, cholera, 
egg bound, enteritis, going light, roup, small pox, 
sudden colds, wing disease, and worms. 

Canker is an evil that the squab raiser has sometimes 
to contend with. The cause of it is often ascribed to 
impure air and water, but as it makes its 
^^* appearance in flocks that have the best of 
care, this evidently is not the true cause. It is diph- 
theritic in its nature, and the symptoms are high fever, 
congestion, and swelling of the blood-vessels of the 
throat, accompanied by little white ulcers, which, if 
neglected, spread very rapidly all over the interior of 
the mouth and throat. Like roup it usually makes its 
appearance in cold, damp weather. When a squab once 
becomes affected old and young should be at once taken 



59 

from the breeding room and the apartment they occu - 
pied disinfected. The old birds should be examined, 
and if found with canker in their mouths it should be 
removed and the canker spots painted with a solution 
of lemon juice and suo:ar. Powdered burnt alum is 
also good to apply. The young birds can be treated 
in the same way, but if the canker has spread much 
about the mouth it hardly pays to spend much time 
over them. The old birds need to be thoroughly cured 
before turning back into the breeding room. A small 
piece of alum in the drinking water of the old birds 
will aid in the cure, and if the whole flock is threatened 
a piece in the different drinking vessels for awhile will 
act as a preventive. 

Cholera usuall}^ attacks pigeons in hot weather, and 
can generally be attributed to improper food, new 
wheat, musty corn, foul screenings, or im- 
* pure water. It is accompanied by a watery 
diarrhea of a greenish color. The plumage is dull and 
the bird mopes and soon loses its strength. Change 
its food and place a little prepared chalk in the water. 
I have found a lump of quick lime about the size of a 
walnut placed in a two -gallon vessel of water to be a 
check to the discharges. 

Hens, especially young ones, often have trouble in 
voiding or passing their eggs. Frequently the first 
egg will be voided all right, and the hen 
" * on the following day give evidence of 

distress sometimes entirely losing the use of her legs 
and unable to stand. By taking her in the hands, and 
feeling of the abdomen, the egg can generally be 
located, and when convinced that this is the cause of 
the trouble nature needs to be assisted. One way to 
do this is after rubbing the passage with vaseline or 



60 



Sweet oil, introducing the finger as far as possible, at 
the same time being careful not to break the egg, hold- 
ing her abdomen over steam, not so hot as to scald, but 
so as to thoroughh^ warm and relax the parts as much 
as possible. After a few minutes of such treatment as 
this, put her in a quiet pen and unless a very stubborn 
case she will soon pass the egg. Some at the same 
time as treating with the steam, give the hen a small 
quantity of molasses internally. 

Inflammation of the bowels, or enteritis as it is 
called, is the result of a chill and the S5'mptoms are a 
P , , "puffed-up" condition of the feathers, mop- 
ing, and a bloodj^ discharge of mucus. 
Place the bird in a warm place and give a few drops 
of paregoric two or three times a da3^ 

" Going light," the term used among pigeon fanciers 
for atrophy or wasting, is a condition in which the 
bird gradually grows thinner and thinner, and is a form 
of consumption. While I do not consider it contagious, 
it is best to remove the sufferer from the rest, for no 
^^ . bird with any form of disease should be al - 
T . < , n lowed to remain in the breeding room. It is 
usually accompanied by diarrhea, the dis- 
charges clinging to the vent, fouling the plumage and 
presenting a disgusting appearance. If you see a bird 
with its plumage discolored, its motions uncertain, its eye 
dull, catch it, and you can soon determine bj^ feeling of it, 
whetheritis"goinglight" ornot; for its breast -bone will 
be prominent and its natural plumpness gone if affected 
by this disease. I have found an almost certain remedj', 
if taken in the early stages, to be plucking out its en- 
tire tail. Then by using one or two cod liver oil cap- 
sules and a grain of quinine dail}^ and feeding a little 
hemp seed with its other food, it will, by the time its 



61 



tail has grown again, be entirely recovered. But it 
will be a long time if a hen before she will be in laying 
condition, and the question naturally arises, is it 
profitable to wait for recovery and also give the time 
necessary to attend to it while sick ? 

Roup is a disease of a catarrhal nature, affecting the 
mucous membranes of the nostrils, head, and throat, 
and is usually accompanied by a profuse dis- 
^* charge of sticky mucous matter from the nos- 
trils, which, if the disease is neglected, become very 
offensive. It is very contagious, and should be check- 
ed as soon as it makes its appearance by removing the 
sufferers to a distance, as if left to fly around they 
would soon contaminate the most of the flock. It 
seems to be miasmatic in its nature, as it makes its ap- 
pearance suddenly, sometimes affecting a number at 
once, and when they have been in no way exposed to 
its influence. Sudden changes of temperature with 
damp and chilly conditions are particularly favorable 
to its appearance. On the first indication of difficult 
Iweathing give a pill, about the size of a medium -sized 
pea, of butter and black pepper, equal parts, and swab 
the throat with a solution of chlorate of potash. 
Should there be a discharge of mucus, wash the nos- 
trils and inside of the mouth with a solution of perox- 
ide of hydrogen ; this is said to be a sovereign remedy 
for roup. Dry quarters, protection from draughts, and 
an occasional use of a disinfectant will do much to keep 
this scourge at ba3^ 

A disease that sometimes makes its appearance in 

large flocks of pigeons, and quite contagious, is known 

as small pox. It comes in the form of 
Small Pox. g^^^jj g^^^g ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ .^ j^^j ^^ 

take its course spreads over the head and neck, form- 



62 

ing one large mass of scabby sores. L/ii its first ap- 
pearance isolate the afflicted ones, and touch the sores 
with a solution of blue vitriol. A few applications 
will generally check its tendency to spread. 

In cases of sudden cold, or where a tonic seems to be 
necessary, a one -grain pill of quinine, and a capsule of 
cod liver oil, given twice a day, will be found to have 
good results. Especially is this the 
ouooen C-olos. ^^^^ during the molting season where a 
bird does not seem to shed well and is drooping. It is 
a trying time for all pigeons and unless in robust 
health the process will be slow. As thej^ do not usually 
breed while molting, it is an advantage to have it over 
as soon as possible, and consequently pigeons should 
be kept in good, health}' condition and encouraged to 
shed as rapidly as is consistent with good health. A 
little stimulating food, such as hemp and canary seed, 
is good at such times. 

Wing disease is a stiffening of the joints of the 
wings, caused b}' the formation of a tumor at this point, 
-^. and no doubt arises from a strain, or injury 

Disease. ^^ ^ blow. It first appears as a small, in- 
flamed spot, and if neglected, grows larger 
and larger, until finallj- it hardens, fills with a 3'ellow 
cheesy matter, which after a time breaks the skin and 
protrudes, increasing in size daily, until it eventually 
weakens the bird so much that it dies. If 3-ou notice 
one of your birds that seems to have difficulty in fl}-- 
ing, and drags one wing on the ground, examine it and 
you will, no doubt, find the wing-joint inflamed. 
Place it in the hospital that should be attached to every 
breeding -house, rub it well with strong spirits of cam- 
phor twice dail}', or paint with iodine, and you will, if 
3"ou have discovered it in time, no doubt effect a cure. 



63 

Sometimes even thouo:h you may relieve the inflamma- 
tion and apparentlj' cure the disease, the wing- will re- 
main stiff. This, while it renders the bird in a meas- 
ure helpless and unsightl3s does not injure it as a 
breeder, for it will still continue to la3% sit, and feed; 
but on account of its being unable to fly it nnist, of 
necessit}s make its nest on the floor. 

Worms sometimes prove troublesome to pigeons. 
The pigeon has a varying appetite, and while it maj^ 
.^ seem to eat and drink, does not appear to be 

doing well. If watched carefullj^ the worms 
will appear in their dung, and when it is determined 
that this is the cause, give a piece of garlic about the 
size of a medium white bean every morning, and watch 
the results ; or a small pill of powdered areca nut and 
butter, for two or three days, followed by a capsule of 
castor oil. I have alwaj^s found the garlic to be an 
effective cure. A small piece of gum aloes, about the 
size of a Canada pea, will also be found effective, 
all to be given before the bird is fed in the morning. 

What is known as the Douglass Mixture added to 
the drinking water, in proportion of a tablespoonful 
to a pint of water, is a good tonic for all 
ii», f^ times. The mixture is made by dissolving 

one -half pound of green copperas in two 
gallons of water, adding to it one ounce of sulphuric 
acid. This, if placed in the drinking vessels occasion - 
ally during the molting season, will be found to assist 
molting and keep the strength of the bird from dimin- 
ishing. 



Part IL 
INTRODUCTORY. 



»#y,^ AVIXG felt the need of proper advice for the 
l|^ successful breeding of squabs for market, 
11%^ and knowing that hundreds of others like 
m^'self have suffered loss and disappoint- 
ment in their first efforts, have prompted me to write 
these hints. 

Squab raising is, when ])roperl3' managed, undoubt- 
edlj^ one of the best pa^'ing businesses that can be 
started with a comparatively small capital ; the percent- 
age of ]irofit on the capital invested is very large, 
everything being considered. It can be carried on in 
connection with the poultry business very nicely. The 
care and housing of pigeons and poultry differ con - 
siderably . A larger number of pigeons can be raised sue - 
cessfullj^on the same amount of ground than chickens. 
The following remarks are based entirely on personal 
experience as well as that of others who are engaged 
largely in the business in this- section of the country, 
(vicinity of Philadelphia.) A much longer account 
might have been written, but life is short and the get- 
ting at the main points of most value to the breeder in 
the briefest possible way has been my chief aim, and I 
recommended this work to all intending breeders of 
squabs, hoping that it will be of material benefit and 
be the instrument of assisting them to success. 

G. H. Brinton. 



MONEY IN SQUABS. 



/^ifc^HHRE are many different styles of lofts and 
/ \ bouses, but I have come to the conclusion that 

^^ir the one best adapted for the purpose is the 
one described below. Houses for raisino: 
squabs should always be built on the ground, as con- 
siderable time and labor will be saved in feeding; and 
watering; besides, I am of the opinion that birds thrive 
better when they are on the ground than when confined 
exclusively to the loft or an elevated avairy. 
TT The house is easier to clean and the expense 

is less than if the house were built two 
stories high. If one has room in a barn loft and no 
place else, it is, of course, possible to raise good squabs 
there, but whenever possible I would advise the house 
be built on the ground ; especiall}^ is this the case when 
large numbers of birds are kept. The carrying of 
water and feed up one or more flights of stairs at 
feeding time is laborious. 

To construct a breeding-house, procure good hem- 
lock sheathing boards, twelve inches wide, sixteen feet 
long, and one inch thick. Use two by four hemlock 
scantling, sixteen feet long, and the cheapest matched 
flooring. The building should stand seven feet at rear 
in the clear, inside, and eight feet at the front, inside, 
and should be fifteen feet from front to rear, over all. 
Straight sides and ends, roof slanting one foot from 



66 



front to rear. The front should have three by six feet 
windows, at intervals of six or eight feet, extending to 
within one foot of the floor. This will give light 
when the birds are confined to the house on account of 
inclement weather. All windows should be made to 
slide sideways inside the building, and should be kept 
open in hot weather. The house should face the south, 
or south-east. Such a house may be extended indefi - 
nitely to accommodate the number of birds to be kept. 
A house fifteen feet square would hold comfortably 
sevent3^-five pairs of birds. In front of the house 
should be the wire -netted run or aviar5^ extending 
twenty to thirty feet deep and eight feet high. A 
bottom board twelve inches wide should extend around 
the enclosure and light lumber should be used for the 
balance of the framework, with as few posts as possible 
for center supports. Around the run, about six feet 
from the ground, six -inch fence boards should be placed 
for walks or perches for the birds. Thej^ should have 
free flight through the center of the run as much 
as possible. One -inch mesh is the best to use, as it will 
keep out rats and English sparrows. The door to the 
squab -house should be wide enough for a wheelbarrow 
to be gotten through to remove the manure, etc. The 
opening for the birds to get into the aviary should he 
in the center of the building, about four feet from the 
ground, and should be about six inches wide, six feet 
long, with a drop -board same size hung on 
puUej'S, or so arranged that it can easilj'- be raised or 
lowered at will bj^ cords extending to the outside of the 
wire run, so that the drop can be let down at night 
without going into the building. There are alwa3's 
some birds in a large flock that are wild and fl}^ into 
the 3'ard the moment the}^ hear the door open. 




WHITE DUCHESSE. 



69 



A perch about eight or ten inches wide should ex- 
tend along the whole bottom of the opening, on which 
the birds may alight. Tin or sheet iron, covering a 
space of two feet below the opening and a foot above, 
and extending a foot on either end, will prevent mice 
and rats from entering easily, as they have difficulty in 
obtaining a foot -hold on the tin. The house and roof 
should be thoroughly covered with two-ply tar roofing 
paper, well put on and covered with slag cement. The 
front of the house, facing the j-ards, may be weather- 
stripped and painted, if preferred. It is very import- 
ant to give the tar paper the coating of slag cement as 
soon as put on, to protect it from the action of the 
weather. A coat of slag (tar) cement over the building, 
put on once a year, will preserve it for years in good 
condition. All doors should have spring hinges so 
that the}^ will keep shut when not in use. Along the 
front of the house, about eight feet apart and two feet 
below the roof, cut out with compass saw a board one 
foot square, saw the top across, then nail on stout 
pieces of boot or other leather for hinges, then saw 
bottom and sides, and 3'ou have a small swinging -door 
ventilator to be used only in hot weather. Tack on 
some wire netting inside, so that the birds will not fly 
in and out, and during hot weather these ventilators 
will prove of great advantage. In Winter these ven- 
tilating doors should be nailed shut and a piece of 
heavy paper tacked over the inside to prevent draughts. 

Having described the outside of the breeding -house 
and the yard, we will new look to the arrangement of the 
interior. When you enter from the outside door you 
should have a small wire partition separating a small 
room from the main room, to be used as a feed -room. 
In a building fifteen by forty feet, a space three feet 



70 



wide would be sufficient. In this apartment is stored 
in barrels the feed, salt, oyster shell, grit, tobacco 
stems, squab boxes, baskets, tools, etc., read}- for im- 
mediate use. In a small house it would not be nec- 
essary to have this space, as the barrels could be set in 
any convenient space inside, but when from three to five 
thousand birds are kept, it is, of course, necessary to 
have the stores near at hand and convenient to use. 
When a large number of birds are kept, a small room 
about fifteen feet square with a stove in, should be 
attached to the house for use in picking squabs and for 
storage. Directly facing the outside door should be 
the door leading from the feed -room into the nest- 
ing-room, so that a barrow may be wheeled from 
one room to another. The nesting -room in a 
house fifteen feet wide may be any length up to say 
forty feet, which should accommodate about three or 
four hundred pairs of birds. If the house be one 
hundred and twenty feet long, it should be divided 
into three or more apartments, wire netting partitions 
being all that is necessary to separate the rooms. 
Spring doors should be used in each of the par- 
titions. The room should be lined with nesting - 
boxes, excepting where the doors, windows and venti- 
lators are, the nests to extend from the floor upward 
six feet, making five nests in each division, as the floor 
is not intended to be used to nest on, although the 
birds will occasionally use it for that purpose. 

The nest -boxes are made by erecting twelve -inch 
wide boards, six feet high, set on ends, leaving a space 
of twelve inches between each two boards, all around 
the whole room, excepting at windows, etc., as before 
mentioned. These boards are secured at the bottom 
by nailing to the floor and at the top by laying a 



71 

twelve -inch board over all, making a walk on top for the 
pigeons. ^ Then take twelve -inch boards and cut off in 
pieces one foot square, five for each division in the 
house; in a forty -foot house, allowing for windows, 
etc., it would take about three hundred and fift}' pieces, 
which makes about three hundred and fifty nests to a 
forty -foot house, accommodating three hundred pairs 
of birds. Having the three hundred and Mty pieces of 
board, one foot square, next cut from three -inch 
stripping three hundred and fifty pieces, twelve inches 
long, and nail these pieces to each piece of twelve -inch 
board ; nail to the side of the board, at the end, so that 
the two boards together, representing the bottom of 
the nest, will be twelve inches square one waj^ and 
four b}'' twelve inch end, that is, the three -inch strip- 
ping and one inch of end of board. A lot of stripping 
one inch square, or one-inch -square pickets may be 
used. These should be cut up into twelve -inch lengths 
and nailed to the sides of the divisions as cleats, com- 
mencing about one foot above the floor and leaving 
about eleven inches between each piece on the division 
board. In this way five sets of strips are put in each 
division; the nest-boards will then slide in, resting in 
these cleats like a drawer. Kach nest can readily be 
lifted out to be cleaned or changed at any time. All 
nests should be interchangeable so that it does not 
matter if the same one is not put back. This is, I con- 
sider, by far the best arrangement for breeding nests 
that is in use at the present time. Many advocate the 
use of nest -pans, etc. I have used several different 
kinds, but I find nothing is so good in the long run as 
these board nest -boxes, besides being more economical, 
a very important point to most breeders. I might say 
that when it is not convenient to build an entire new 



72 

house, the general plan of house herewith described 
ma}^ be used, by fitting up nests inside, making wire 
runs outside, windows and ventilators, etc. In many 
places an old chicken -house can be transformed with- 
out much trouble or expense into a very good squab - 
house. 

The first and most important fact I wish to impress 
in regard to buj'ing stock is to bu}- from a man who 
, makes a business of breeding pigeons. Plenty 
q ^1 ^ of such men advertise in, the pigeon and poul- 
try papers. It means everj'thing to the be- 
ginner to get good birds to start with. Do not bu}- old 
birds that have been bred for years with very little 
vitality and breeding power left in them. They will, 
of course, disappoint, and no doubt lead j^ou to give up 
the idea of squab raising with disgust. Good breeders 
to start with insure success. By good birds I mean 
strong, health}^ thoroughbred birds, of good size, and 
from one to three years of age. Do not buy 5-oung 
birds four or five months old, as they will disappoint 
as much as those that are too old, as it takes them so 
long to start breeding, and they do not generally raise 
their first two or three hatchings with much success. 
Birds from one to one and a half years old are decidedly 
the best for breeders. A pigeon will breed well vintil 
it is eight or ten 3'ears old, as a rule. The number of 
pairs to start with depends entirel}' on the amount of 
room that is intended to be given them. If the intend- 
ing breeder has had no experience with pigeons it 
would be we A to buj^ ten, or not more than twentj^-five 
pairs to start with. Experience will be gained and 
additions to the flock maj^ be made as rapidl}^ as your 
knowledge increases. By keeping your pigeons band- 
ed 5'ou can keep a record of each bird, which is very 



73 

advantageous in lireeding pigeons for squal)S ; some 

squabs breeders claim it is more troul)le than it is worth, 

but I believe in having them banded whenever possible, 

and have found the record thus kept of untold value to 

me in the business. 

I will not attempt to go into details of description of 

the various kinds of pigeons, but will onl}" speak of 

_^ TT . , those breeds we kiuna are good for the 
Best Varieties t ■ ^ ^^ t^ ■> ^^ 

, o J purpose. 1 consider the Duchesse the 

best breed for squab raising, when 
ever3'thing is considered. It is a large bird and the 
squabs are larger and finer looking than those of the 
Homer of Dragoon. Of course, some Duchesse pig- 
eons are much larger and finer birds than others for the 
purpose, but I am speaking of them as a class. Thej^ 
are more domestic than the Homer and are fully as 
good breeders and feeders, so far as ni}' observation 
goes, and I have lired a great many of them and have 
seen others who have done equall}' as well. Color 
does not, in my opinion, make much difference with 
them, but the lightest colored birds should be l)red 
when possible. Some exceptions are taken to the 
Duchesse on account of its feathered legs ; this ma}' be 
remedied by crossing wnth the Homer, Runt, or Dra- 
goon. The working Homer, as found almost every- 
where, is a splendid breeder and feeder. Fine large 
birds of this varietj' can be selected that will give ex- 
cellent satisfaction. They also do well crossed with 
the Duchesse or Dragoon. The Dragoon is the next 
best bird and almost equal to the Homer as to breeding 
and feeding qualities. It is also a fine show bird and isdes - 
fined to be one of the most popular show birds in America. 
Runts are used to advantage bj^ squab breeders, and 
when crossed with the Homer make large -sized squabs. 



74 



The food for breeding birds consists chiefly of good, 
sound red wheat. Some squab breeders say that they 

can use good screenings with as good re- 
Food and ^^^j^^ ^^ sound wheat. Thev claim the birds 
reeding'. 

find a variety of different seeds in the 

screenings that make them appetizing and that the 
squabs fatten more readily upon them. But ni}- ex- 
perience differs from this. I cannot believe that it pa3-s 
as well to bu3' screenings as it does good wheat, even 
if the price is more for the latter than the former. 
There is no waste whatever in feeding good wheat, 
while there is considerable loss in screenings from the 
refuse that the birds will not eat. Next in imj^ortance 
to good wheat is good, dr5^ cracked corn. This must 
not be bought in too large a quantitjs owing to its 
quick absorption of dampness from the air and liabil- 
ity to mould, therel)y destroying its value as food for 
pigeons at once. It should l^e kept in the driest corner 
you have and well protected. It should be cracked 
very coarse, as the finer it is cracked the more loss there 
is in feeding. A medium -sized grain of corn cracked 
in two pieces is about the right size. These foods, 
wheat and corn, are the two staples of food year in and 
year out. Three feeds of wheat to one of corn should 
be the proportion for feeding. They should not be fed 
mixed. Corn may be fed for a week and then wheat 
for three weeks, or it may be given three feeds of wheat 
and one of corn. Hemp seed should also always 1 e 
kept on hand for sick or rundown birds, and once a 
month give a feed of hemp seed to all, although it is 
not necessary to do this where hemp seed appears too 
costly. Canadian peas are excellent food for fattening 
squabs. No green food is necessary at anytime, al- 
though lettuce is sometimes given. Stale bread is very 




(I|H|||,V|||',I/1III 
PAIR BLUE RUNTS. 



77 



good for a relish occasionally, and the birds will apj^re- 
ciate it verj^ much. 

In feeding breeding birds a large part of the food is 
frequently wasted by giving more at one time than the 
birds will clean up. Birds feeding their young should 
be fed twice a day, the first time as soon after daylight 
as possible, the second time about 3 o'clock in the 
afternoon, giving the old birds time to fill their young 
before dark. Just as much feed should be given as the 
birds will clean up. This can readily be ascertained 
by measuring the amount in a bucket for a few morn - 
ings. If at the second feeding there still remains some 
of the morning feed reduce the amount until just what 
is nicely cleaned up is used. Of course, the same 
number of birds will eat considerably more at one time 
in the month than another, depending on the number 
of squabs thej^ are feeding. All this must be looked 
after closely by the breeder. The best feed-troughs 
are constructed of twelve -inch boards, from six to 
twelve feet in length, and putting on sides and ends of 
three -inch stripping. This will make a low, flat box 
two inches deep inside. As many troughs may be 
made as are necessary for the number of birds in the 
house. One board twelve inches by twelve feet would 
do for a forty -foot house, although two would be bet- 
tzT. In long, low boxes should be plentj' of grit at all 
times; finely ground oyster shells are also very good. 
A number of different kinds of grit are advertised. A 
heap of fresh sharp sand should always be near the 
feeding -troughs. This must be renewed frequentl3s 
especiall}^ in the Winter season w^hen the birds can not 
get on the ground outside. Should there be a chance 
to get some old mortar from a building, or from a 
heap of mortar left over by masons, it can be used to 



78 



good advantage the same as sand, and is far better, 
but it must be pounded up fine and not left in large 
lumps. 

Salt is of the utmost importance to pigeons. A very 
good way to feed salt is to get it in ten -pound bags, 
pour sufficient water over it to wet thoroughly 
^ * and put it in an oven and bake it for a day. 
It will bake hard, j-et still be softer than mineral salt. 
Should the birds l)e fed as much soft salt as the^^ would 
eat, it would kill many, as they would eat too much. 
I have always used mineral salt in my own houses in 
large lumps, as it can be bought readil}^ at anj' store, 
and I think it will generalh' give satisfaction ; but salt 
thej' must have at all times to thrive best. Three or 
four lumps as big as a cabbage-head in a fortj'-foot 
house would be about right. When I say a forty -foot 
house I mean, also, a house with about six hundred 
birds. Tobacco stems, to be had at any cigar manu- 
factory for the hauling away, or at most a trifling cost, 
should be placed in a pile in one corner of the floor 
looseh', not too man}' at one time, bat renewed fre- 
quentl}', so that the birds may have free access to them 
for the purpose of Iniilding their nests. No other ma- 
terial ought ever to be u.sed or placed within reach of 
the birds, as the tobacco aids very largely in keeping 
awa}^ lice, the great pest of the pigeon breeder. Last, 
but not least, is the water question. Pigeons, to do 
their best, should have an abundance of pure water for 
drinking and bathing. Water -boxes, two by four feet 
and six inches deep, with board covers, are found a 
very good method to water pigeons. The cover should 
be movable and contain about five circular holes, five 
inches in diameter. These covers keep the birds from 
defiling the water to a large extent, and twice each 



79 



week the covers should be removed and the birds be 
permitted to bathe. It is important that birds should 
have a bath more frequently in warm weather than 
during- Winter; the bath being an effectual way of get- 
ting rid of vermin. These boxes should be thoroughly 
cleaned out each time after the ])irds bathe, and filled 
up with fresh water, sufficient boxes being used to 
suppl}^ the wants of the birds. Large tin pans about 
eighteen inches in diameter and four inches deep, 
cleaned and filled daily, with no cover, are also used, 
but having no cover they require more attention. In 
extremely cold weather hot water should be used suffici- 
ent to take the chill off. I believe this will pay for the 
extra trouble, as Winter is the time above all others 
that the birds .should be doing their best, being the 
season of high prices. 

If your pigeons are already mated, so much the bet- 
ter; if not, select the cocks and hens that 3'ou wish to 
mate together and put each pair in a 
Breeding: and ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ twelve l)y twenty -four inches 
Managfement. . , ,...., . , ,, 

with a separating division in-the middle, 

one bird in each end. Have division made of wire 
netting so the birds can see each other and "talk the 
matter over." After keeping them this way for three 
or four daj^s slip out the division and let the birds to- 
gether. As a usual thing they will mate up and you 
will have no further trouble with them. They can then 
be turned loose in the house. It is always a hard job 
for the beginner to distinguish the cocks from the hens, 
but a little practice helps wonderfuU}^ in this matter. 
Cocks as a rule are larger than hens, and in flirting 
with the hen he will turnaround "all the way" fre- 
quently, but one rarely sees a hen turn all the way 
around while cooing and making love to her lord and 



80 

master. The. best way is to watch them in their atten- 
tions to each other, and when you see one bird chasing 
the other from perch to perch, up and down and all 
around, you may know that the one doing the chasing 
is the cock bird, and that likely they are ready to nest. 
A hen lays but two eggs at a sitting, and usually one 
day intervenes between the laying of the two eggs. In 
case you find a nest, however, with four eggs in, you 
may also find another nest with only one egg in. In 
that case you would be able to put one of the four in it, 
providing, of course, that 3^ou knew the hen with one 
egg had laid a sufficient length of time, say three days, 
to show that she was not going to lay another. In fact, 
you could easily mark one end with a lead pencil, so 
that in case another egg was laid j'ou could remove the 
one you had put in. 

Never try to make one hen hatch more than two 
young, as it will inevitably result in loss. If she does 
feed them all, at least one, and probably two, will be 
so poorly fed that they will not amount to anything. 
Sometimes' you will find that where there are only two 
squabs, one seems to thrive and the other gets along 
poorly. In such a case take the poorly -fed one to an- 
other hen that has only one squab of nearly the same 
size, and you will find they will both come along all 
right. If a pair nest and have no eggs, watch the 
birds carefully and after giving them a fair chance, 
separate them and give the cock another hen, as the 
one is no doubt l)arren, and will do no good as a 
breeder. Pigeons should be kept in a good, tight 
house, as warm as it can be made without using arti- 
ficial heat. Keep the house as clean as possible at all 
seasons, but especially in hot weather, as the more 
manure there is in a house the faster the lice seem to 



8i 



breed. If you find that in spite of keeping the house 
clean and giving the birds plenty of water to bathe in, 
the lice multiply, something should be done at once to 
kill them out. I have tried several methods. ■ The 
best and surest is to get a small watering-pot with a 
fine sjjray, fill it with coal oil and give the perches, 
empty nests, corners, etc., of breeding-house a liberal 
dose. It will not hurt the birds and is sure death to 
the lice. Fine air-slacked lime scattered around is 
also good. Thousands of young birds are killed every 
Summer by not keeping the lice under control in houses 
and lofts. The birds being young do not know so well 
how to bathe and free themselves of these pests, and 
they seem to droop from day to day, growing weaker, 
until finally they die. Coal oil has never killed nor in- 
jured a squab or pigeon for me, and I have tried it time 
and again with best results. 

As to diseases I will not say much. If you have a 
bird that gets down off the perch and droops around, 
take it out immediately, put it in the "hospital," 
which should be a small separate loft or large box, 
where such birds can be kept warm and dry. Then 
give it plenty of hemp seed, clean water, sand, and a 
few dry bread crusts. Watch the bird carefully for a 
week or ten da^^s. If 3^ou see no improvement and 
can not find out the particular cause of the ailment, 
chop its head off. It is the best cure in such cases. 
Of course, if one were breeding fancy, high -class pig- 
eons they could nor afford to do this so readily ; but a 
squab breeder, with probably one hundred birds to a 
fancier's one, cannot afford to devote too much time to 
an}' single bird. Some pigeons get a wing disease; 
the wing droops down and drags on the floor and the 
bird is hardly able to fly. In such cases pull all the 



82 

feathers from around the joint. If swollen, paint with 
tincture of iodine every other da}' for a week. If not 
swollen, hold the joint in cold water for say five min- 
utes every day for a week, and keep the bird in a box 
so that it will not attempt to ^y. If it does not then 
improve, chop its head off. Canker is a bad disease, 
but not prevalent enough to cause serious uneasiness 
to a squab breeder. It shows itself by a lump forming 
in the throat, resem1)ling cheese. It is an inherited 
disease, and I think as a rule I would kill the old bird 
that has it., as it is not a good thing to have in your 
stock. 

In dressing squabs for market the}' should be killed 

at four weeks old. Some parents will feed their 3'oung 

^ better than others and in twentj'-five 

£ 1171 1 ^ davs have them as forward as they 

for Market. "^ , , , • • , , 

would be in twenty -eight daj's. JNIy 

rule has always been to go through the house and ]Mck 
out the ones that seem to be about right, which will 
generall}' be just as the}' first start to leave the nest. 
After a little practice one can tell almost at a glance 
whether the squab is sufficiently filled out to kill. 
What is wanted is large, fat squabs. They should be 
collected the afternoon of the da}' before they are to be 
killed and put in boxes, so that their crops wall be 
emptied of all food at the time of- killing. This is im- 
portant, as the birds look bad and do not keep so well 
if food is left in their crops after being killed ; but the 
crop can be emptied by squeezing out the grain with 
the fingers, in case it is not possible to collect all the 
day before ; but this adds much to the work and is en - 
tirely unnecessary. I use the common killing -knife, 
but a good, sharp penknife will answer the purpose. 
The jugular vein should be cut just back of the head. 



83 

The squab should be held for killing in the left hand, 
the ends of the wings and the legs together in a firm 
grasp, leaving the head hanging down so that the ]:)lood 
will readil}^ flow out of the cut. Another person should 
hold the beak of the squab, when convenient, as it is 
easier that wa3^ Squabs should be picked while warm, 
as it is much easier done then than after allowing them to 
get cold, and for this reason the squabs should be killed 
just as wanted. It seems rather tedious at first to ]uck 
a squab, as one has to l)e careful not to tear the skin, 
and the pin -feathers are often hard to get out, but after 
a little practice it will seem much easier. One man 
who picks from one hundred and fifty to two hundred 
pairs per week told me that he could pick fourteen 
squabs clean for market in one hour, but that twelve 
was his usual number. I never could equal that, but 
no doubt it could be done. After you have your squab 
picked clean throw it in ice-cold (or spring) water and 
leave it in about thirty minutes. This takes out the 
animal heat and they will keep longer and better. 
They will also look better as the water seems to plump 
them out. Now take out the squab and wash off all 
dirt from feet and blood from around head, fold the 
wungs nicely across the back, tie the two inside legs 
of a pair together, ahvaj'S putting squabs of about the 
same size and fatness together, hang up and the}^ are 
read}^ to ship. 

When ready to ship squabs to market divide thenl up 
in the box or boxes so that all the largest and finest 

lie together and all the poorest ones 
Shipping: and ^ themselves. Bv so doing you can 
Sellma:. , • ' .1 I ^ 

get better prices, on the average, but 

5'ou will not have man}- very poor ones if the}' are 
properly looked after. In cold weather it is merely 



84 



necessary to pack in good, strong boxes, letting a little 
air in, layer upon layer; pack in boxes holding about 
six layers, as too many are apt to flatten out of shape 
and take away that plump, round appearance that goes 
so far toward getting good prices for them. In Sum- 
mer put a layer of ice in bottom of box, then put in 
your squabs, and on top of them, for the last layer, 
put cracked ice again, then the ice melting atid the 
water trickling down between the birds keeps them nice 
and cool. In looking for purchasers for squabs you 
will find if you can give a steady supply week after 
week, there will be no difficulty in obtaining the best 
class of customers — private parties, hotels, and fine 
restaurants. Make the best arrangements you can with 
them as to prices and numbers they will take for the 
season, etc. All game stores handle squabs, but the 
best paying trade is private families, who will take one 
or two pairs every week the year around and at a fair 
price. In the markets you can also sell at all times, 
but not at such good figures. Try to get every priv^ate 
family you can, as you get the best retail price from 
them. Find out what they have paid and what they 
will pa3^ If you live so far from a large city that you 
can not look up such customers, it would often pay to 
advertise that families will be supplied, etc., and a good 
commission house will often obtain ver}' fair prices for 
you. The best location, however, for a squab raiser is 
near enough to a large city to be able to get in once a 
week to look after sales, customers, etc. If 3'ou have 
only a few each week, say one or two dozen pairs, they 
can easily be put in a canvas case and carried along 
with you to be delivered as desired. 

As to selling price, that depends on the size and con - 
dition of squabs and season of the year; from the 



85 

poorest, thill little things in Mid -summer at twenty 
cents a pair (that no man who pretends to raise squal)S 
for profit would ever send to market,) to the extra large 
fat squabs that retail in Mid -winter, all the way up to 
$1 a pair. Of course, wholesale prices would be from 
ten to twenty per cent, less than these prices on the 
same birds. A successful squab raiser ought to be 
able to retail squabs at an average of sixty cents a pair 
the year round. This price is for strictly first-class 
birds ; what few second-grade squabs he sells ought to 
average forty cents a pair the year through, but these 
last should be very few in number, only from young 
breeders, etc. With good management a good pair of 
breeders ought to alwaj'S clear $1 per year, often more, 
seldom less. The manure should always figure in the 
profits at the rate of at least five cents a pair a year. 
So that if you have five hundred ])airs of breeders you 
could reasonably expect, with good management, to 
realize a profit of $5U0 in one 5^ear, or $1,000 on one 
thousand pairs, and in that ratio according to the num- 
ber of birds you breed. This rate of profit, however, 
does not include cost of your own labor. 






86 

The national Dl cssajc H older 

FOR HOMING PIGEONS. 



/^■B^HE use of Homing Pigeons as messengers 
£ \ over land and water is graduall}' increasing 

^ 1 in this countr}', due to the practical appli- 

^^i^ cation of the wonderful homing instinct of 
these birds . Their great usefulness for con - 
vej'ing messages has been demonstrated in man}' ways, 
especially when no other means of communication are 
available. The United States Government has mes- 
senger pigeon stations at all the principal navy-j^ardsof 
the Atlantic Coast and at Mare Island, Cal., which are 
extremely successful. The various coast and trans- 
atlantic steamship lines use Homing Pigeons to convey 
messages over the water, and the Chamber of Com- 
merce at San Francisco has established a messenger 
pigeon ser\'ice between San Francisco and the Far- 
allone Islands, with a view of utilizing Homing 
Pigeons for convening weather reports and shipping 
news. Many progressive newspapers have established 
lofts of Homing Pigeons for carrying news and report- 
ing the events of the day. Messenger pigeon service 
is being utilized to good advantage for professional 
and business pnrposes, affording a means 
of communication that could not be had 
otherwise. Homing Pigeon fanciers are 
training their birds for business as well 
as for fancy purposes, by conveying 
news from one point to another. These 
winged messengers are bred by the thou - 
sands each year, and their wonderful 
records of flights are evidences of their fig. i. 

worth for fancy and practical purposes. The Holder. 

The old way of carrying a message in a quill fastened 
to the tail-feathers of the bird, has been ver^' unsatis- 
factory, and is now a thing of the past. Genius has 




87 



given a modern method for sending messages safely by 
Homing Pigeons. The National Message Holder 
(patented) as shown in Fig. 1, is the best thing that 
has been invented for this purpose, being the only safe, 
reliable, and satisfactory method in vogue for sending 
messages by Homing Pigeons. The National Mes- 
sage Holder is 
thoroughly cover- 
ed by patents in 
the United States 
and abroad. It is 
made of alumi- 
num, and weighs 
only 10 grains, is 
water-tight, and 
can be fastened to 
a bird's leg (see 
Fig. 2. ) in a 
second instead of 
minutes as by the 
old way. It does 
not impede the 
flight of the bird and cannot be lost bj^ the dropping of 
the tail-feathers, as was often the case when the old- 
style quill was used. 

The National Message Holder is used exclusively in 
the United States Messenger Pigeon Service, being 
highly endorsed by those in charge of the various 
stations. Every flyer of pigeons who has used them is 
loud in praise of their value to the fraternity'. To 
the racing fancier, the National Message Holder will 
prove a boon, and will save much worry, time and ex- 
pense of telegrams, by receiving the time of liberation 
by the bird itself with a certified message from the 
liberator, which cannot be contested. Again, lost 
birds can be easily identified as the Holder can be per- 
manently attached to the bird on its record flights, with 
the owner's name and address, aud other instructions 
written on the blauk. 




Showing- Holder Attached to Bird's L,eg-. 



88 




Some Advantages of the National Messag:e Holder, 

It is cheap. 
It is water-tight. 
It does not come off. 
It is not noticed bj- the bird. 
It does not irritate the bird. 
It can be worn over and over again. 
It does not impede the flight of the bird. 
It can be worn permanently bj- the bird. 
It affords a sure means of identitication. 
It saves money, worry, and loss of time. 
It can be fastened and unfastened in a second. 
It is as light as a feather, weighing only 10 grains. 
It is used exclusively by the United States Government.- 
It is used and endorsed bj' the most prominent flyers of 
pigeons in the United States and abroad. 



89 
TESTIIVIONIALS. 



Please send nie one dozen National Message Holders for 
Homing- Pigeons. They are just the thing. — Dr. G. H. Stone, 
Savannah, Ga. 

I have used one of your National Message Holders in several 
instances from business to communicate with my wife at 
home, attaching the Holder to one of my birds on liberating, 
and find it a remarkable success. — Geo. G. Hallock, Jr., 
Brooklyn, N. Y. 

The National Message Holder is, without a doubt, the very 
best means to carry the message. I have considered no other 
way simply because I believe this Holder superior to any. 
I leave the Holder attached to the leg long enough so that 
the bird will not stop to pick at it when you wish the bird to 
carry a message. Birds that are intended to bring me 
inessages from nay patients will have a Holder attached and 
ready at all times. — Dr. Arnold, Elizabeth, Ills. 
A foreign correspondent writes : 

"The National Message Holders which'you sent me are a 
great success and answer all the requirements. They do not 
inconvenience the pigeons in the least, either at rest or on 
the wing, and the biixls hardly notice them when attached to 
their legs on account of their wonderfully light weight, {only 
ten grains). The birds do not peck at them, as they used to do 
with the old goose-quills, to try to work them off. Messages 
were frequently lost by the birds succeeding in loosening and 
pulling off the old message quill fastened to the tail-feathers. 
The new message holder, which is fastened around the leg 
by means of a clasp, is perfectly secure, and being water- 
tight, keeps the message intact. Another great advantage 
is the facility and rapidity with which messag^es can be sent. 
With the old goose-quill holder it took from three to five 
Diiniitcs to fasten the message on the tail-feathers, with the 
aluminum holder it takes from three to live sccouds only, and 
a large number of pigeons can be forj\'arded with messages 
in a verj- short time 63' means of this clever device." 



PRICES: 

Single Holders, 15 cents each prepaid. 

In lots of 10 or more, 12 '2 cents each prepaid. 

We furnish the National Messenger Pigeon Service blanks 
in books of 50 for 25 cents, books of 100 for 35 cents. 

Address all orders and make all remittances payable to 

George E. Howard «Ss Co. 

504 nth street N. W., Washington, D. C, 



90 

THE FEATH ERMM 

A National 3Iouthly Journal 
Devoted to Poultry and Pigeons. 

ppnFii<;Fiv ILLUSTRATED, 

The Pi6eor» Departmen t 

The " Pijreon Department" of The Feather has always been appreciated 
by fanciers of pijsreons. The contributors to this department are of the 
oldest and most competent writers on pitjeon topics in this country. 
Mr. Lonsr, who has it in charge, has been for years a leading- judge. He has 
g-uided this department since the commencement of The Feather and has 
done everything- to give it the high standing it now has. Some very 
valuable articles are now- being prepared for publication in the " Pigeon 
Department," and our pigeon readers will enjoy a treat not heretofore had. 
Many practical articles will be published, and the pijblishers hope to have 
each issue a gem in journalism. Unlimited time and expense have 
been given to the preparation of its articles, and it is believed that better 
or more practical ones have never been published. The Feather pub- 
lishes the very best of matter, and its illustrations are numerous and 
original. It gives its readers the cream of the poultry and pigeon topics 
of the literarj- world. 

Subscriptions... 



Subscriptions may begin at any time. The price of a yearly subscription 
is 50 cents, but by VetBrning the enclosed coupon to Pigeon Fanciers and 
25 cents you get a yearly subscription at half price, besides a copy of The 
FE.4THER Companion AXi) Dikectoky. Don't delay sending in your 
subscription to 

QEORQE E. HOWARD & CO., 
504 nth Street N. W., Washington, D. C. 



"Eaton Loft Record" 

.♦Homing Pigeon Races 

The most complete thin>; ever gotten up. 

EVERY BREEDER AXD FLYER 
OF H03IING PIGEONS,.. 

Should have one or more copies of it. It is endorsed 
and praised by all who have it, becatise it tells 
plainly the record of every mile you have flown. 

BY ITS rSE YOU CAN TELL AT A GLANCE: 

Number of Birds Entered Each Race; Position 
in Each Race; Returns and Losses; Birds Taken 
Off; Late Returns; Weather Conditions; ■ and 
Date and Time of Liberation. 
This valuable chart will be sent to any address on receipt of 5 

cents, or three copies for 10 cents. Address 

QEORaE E. HOWARD & CO., 

504 nth Street N. W., Washington, D. C. 



91 



EMPORIUM of PETS 




Headquarters for all kinds of... 

Fancy Poultry, Fancy Pigeons, Swans, Pheas- 
ants, Canaries, Parrots, Mocking-birds, Cages, 
Seeds, Gold Fish, Globes, Aquariums, Plants, etc. 

Monkej's, Dogs, Cats, Squirrels, Rabbits, 

Guinea Pigs and other Pet Animals. 

My specialty is seiiiQg first-class 
Homing Pigeons at $1.00 a pair. 

Send for the largest and most complete Illnstrated Free Catalogue. 

LUW. O. oGllllllQ, Washington", d!c." 

.Sole .Vgent for 
Prairie State Incubators au<l Brooilers for AVashington. 



92 

Leg Bands For Pigeons and Poultry.. .. 

1898 BANDS— The official enamelled bands of the 
Tumbler Clubs are furnished by lue at 4 cents each, 
or 45 cents per dozen, without initials, numbered 
from 1 up. Aluminum bands for pigeons and poul- 
try', will not tarnish, always the same color; with 
year and numbered 1 to 100. S3 per 100; with year 
only, SI. 50 per 100; with initials, 25 cents per 100 
letters. Send 2-cent stamp for circular and sample. 
Remittances must accompany' order. Enamelled 
bands, 45 cents per dozen. 
T. Willetts, 180 Lawrence St., Lowell, Mass. 

K The Feather :♦ 
COMPANION an^ DIRECTORY 

A Handy Reference Book»^9^ 

The demand for this book has V)een immense. It is 
handsomely printed and bound in the latest style Persian 
Golden Brown Waterproof Cover. 

This Book Contains: 

Calendar lor 18)8, Calendar of PouUrv Keeping-. Guide to Prac- 
tical Poultry Keeping-, Glossar.v of Technical Terms — Poultry, 
The Poultryman's Reference Chart. Standard Breeds of Poultry, 
The Pig-eon Fancier's Chart, Glossary of Technical Terms — 
Pigeons, Standard Varieties of Pigeons, Directory of The 
Feather Advertisers, Memoranda,' Hatching Record, Egg 
Record, and Show Record Blanks. 



What Some Think of It. 



AX ENCYCLOPEDIA. 

'•I find The Ciimpanion and Directory an encyclopedia of poultry in- 
formation."— D. A. Mount, proprietor of the Pine Tree Farm, Jamesliurg. 
N. J. 

THE BEST BOOK PUBLISHED. 

" Feather Companion and Directory is the best book I ever saw on the 
subject of poultry and will be invaluable to me in breeding same."— Jas. 
A. Davis, Portsmouth, Va. 

A REGULAR EDUCATOR. 

" We think the Feather Companion and Directory is one of the best and 
most useful books we have ever seen. It is, in fact, a regular educator; 
men have come to us and expressed their wonder at how much their birds 
have improved since they have learned how to treat them b.v reading the 
Companion." — A. W. Gluesenkamp & Sox. Batesville, Ind. 

A copy of this valuable and instructive book is g-iven 
FREE toall new subscribers to The Feather, or will be 
mailed to any address on receipt of lO CEXTS. 

GEORGE E. HOWARD & CO., Publishers, 

Washingfton, D. C. 



93 

Poultry Supplies 4» 4^ 4^ 

New Y(irk and Export Ag-ents for 

Prairie State Incubators and Brooders. 

We carry a full line of 

Mann's, Wilson's, Chapman's, Webster & Hannum's, 
Dandy, Standard, and Premier 

Green Bone and Vegetable Cutters, 

PRICE SI5.00 to !#3r)0.00 EACH. 

accordinir to style and size of machine. 
NOTICE.— AS AN EGG PRODUCER OUR... 

BANNER EGG FOOD AND TONIC 

CAN NOT BE EQUALLED. 
It does exactly whatever we say it will do, as thousands of Poultrymen 
can tell you. 

Price. 1-lb. can 35c., five l-ll>. cans 81.00; one Case of two dozen 
1-11). cans JS4.00. 



Aleuts.. ^ ^ ^^^,j^ 

Wanted. ^ -^/ ^^^^^^^ 



CHICK MANXA. 

If you feed it to your younti- chickens, you can raise 90 per cent, of your 

production up to maturity. 

Price, 10c. per lb.; 5-lb package 40c.; 15-lb. pacltage sSl.lO. 

NOTICE.— We are the sole Ajjrents for New York City and vicinity for 

LA3IBEKT'S DKATH TO LICE. 

POWDER AND OINXnENTS. 
Large stock always on hand for immediate shipment- 

•» . OUR IMMENSE 

ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE FREE. 

It tells you what you want in the line of General Supplies and for successf nl 
Poultry Raisin}.'-. 

CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED. 
Address— 

Excelsior Wire & Poultry Supply Go. 

28 Vesey St., NEW YORK CITY. 

Wm, V. RUSS, Prop. 




JUL 7 189€ 



IWM ^ OF CONGRESS 

^02 864 agJ> -1'''^ 



